Jerusalem – Egyptian security forces uncovered a network of spies in northern Sinai working for Israel that included Egyptians and Palestinians, according to Egyptian newspaper Al-Akhbar on Sunday.

The spy ring was discovered after the arrest the principle suspect, an Egyptian resident of Rafiah who gave a statement to police implicating an additional eight in the scheme, according to the report.

According to the report, security forces had been alerted about the principle suspect’s activities four months before arresting him when they began to follow him and record all his telephone conversations. All his conversations with his handlers were recorded, according to the report and when he was confronted with these conversations, at which point he pointed the finger at the other members of the ring.

Security forces claimed that during this long period of surveillance the principle suspect often traveled between Rafiah and Cairo.

After his arrest, the suspect confessed that he transferred military information at the Mossad’s request and that he used a cellular phone from the Israeli company Orange to stay in contact with his handlers, which he claimed was a cellular network that was difficult to trace.

Palestinian news agency Ma’an on Sunday quoted a senior Egyptian official who said that Egypt made the arrest of the Egyptian resident of Rafiah. The official reportedly said that the arrested man was in contact with Arabic speaking Israeli intelligence officers and Egyptians and Palestinians working for Israeli intelligence services.

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