A North Cairo criminal court sitting in Abbasiya held a hearing in the trial of 16 defendants in the case known in the media as the major Ain Shams drug case.[1] Prosecutors accuse the 16 of forming a gang led by the first defendant, “A.M.”, that manufactured and trafficked narcotics inside and outside Egypt.[1] The charges include possessing hashish and indazole carboxamide for sale and holding an unlicensed pistol, ammunition and a knife; the first, second, fourth and seventh defendants also face charges of possessing hashish for use.[1]
Lawyers Amjad Abdel Ghaffar, Ahmed Sami and Youssef Yousry, acting for the ninth defendant, “R.M.”, argued that the referral order was vague in describing and attributing the charges.[2] They asked the court to acquit him.[2] The defence said his arrest and search came without justification and before a prosecution warrant, and cited two telegrams a relative sent to the justice minister and prosecutor general on 17 May 2025 complaining that R.M., his wife, his children and his son’s wife had been arrested unlawfully.[1]
The defence also argued that prosecutors questioned R.M. without a lawyer, contrary to Article 124 of the criminal procedure code, and failed to investigate his claims of coercion and torture or to call defence witnesses.[1] It challenged the investigations by the first prosecution witness on 20 May 2025 as fabricated, saying R.M. had been in the investigator’s custody for more than three days before they were carried out.[1] They also said the phone-examination report referred only to “an iPhone” without identifying which phones or defendants it covered.[1]
According to the case file, police found a hidden room behind a mirror in the first defendant’s home holding drug bags, ammunition and manufacturing equipment.[1] The first defendant confessed to forming the gang and holding the drugs for trafficking.[1] The ninth defendant was arrested with a bag containing hashish pieces, indazole bags, a firearm, ammunition and two phones, and police found cash, more hashish, indazole and gold jewellery in his car.[1]
