Egyptian authorities have detained the prominent businessman Sabri Nakhnoukh and frozen his assets, accusing him of leading an organized crime syndicate involved in money laundering, theft, and illegal weapons possession. Prosecutors allege the group used a private security firm as a front for its operations. The arrests, which include Nakhnoukh’s brother and several co-defendants, stem from an investigation triggered by a violent brawl at a Cairo car dealership last week.
Nakhnoukh, 63, has long been a polarizing figure in Egypt. Historically known for collaborating with state security to suppress protests under former President Hosni Mubarak, he was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 on weapons and narcotics charges. After receiving a presidential pardon from Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2018, he returned to the public eye to head Falcon Group, one of the country's largest private security corporations.
