Egyptian forces raid fake military uniform workshop

Egyptian forces have raided a workshop producing counterfeit military uniforms north of Cairo, a Palestinian news agency reports.

The Ma'an News Agency quotes an anonymous military source as saying officers detained three men and seized 1,000 counterfeit army vests in the raid. Interrogations are now underway, but it is suspected the vests were being supplied to Islamist militias planning a government coup.

Discovery of the vests coincided with the seizure of military uniforms being shipped out of Egypt. Cairo airport officials found 10,000 items of military-style clothing with an Egyptian businessman on his way to Benghazi, Libya, the Associated Press reports.

Separately, 25 tons of khaki and brownish-green material, similar to the fabric worn by Egyptian soldiers, was seized in Alexandria after being shipped from China. The three seizures have put increased focus to reports linking Hamas to material to make counterfeit military uniforms.

Hamas denies involvement, but Egypt is concerned it, or another party, is interested in producing counterfeit military uniforms. A group with the ability to impersonate Egyptian military personnel could cause problems for the current regime.


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