Egypt introduces life in jail as penalty for tunneling
An amendment to the Egyptian penal code imposing life in jail for builders or users of cross-border tunnels has been ordered by presidential decree. The penalty also applies to people with knowledge of tunnels who fail to report them to the authorities. The Egyptian government was authorized to seize buildings at the top of tunnels and any equipment for digging them. Cairo hopes to deter the building of tunnels running between the Gaza Strip and Sinai which are used for the transfer of illegal arms, equipment and terrorist manpower.