Refugee arrested in Suez for recruiting Egyptians to fight in Syria

22-year-old Syrian refugee, Ahmed Melhem, accused of recruiting for Hezbollah Suez- Sayed  Abdullah A Syrian refugee has been arrested in Egypt for apparently trying to recruit Egyptian citizens to fight in the ongoing conflict in Syria. A police raid of the defendant’s flat also revealed a number of weapons such as missiles as well as several fake passports.
According to a military prosecutor in the Egyptian city of Suez, Ahmed Melhem is accused of offering poor Egyptians attractive salaries in exchange for travelling to Syria and fighting for government forces.
He was arrested by military intelligence in a cafe in Suez after police received complaints that he was encouraging citizens to travel illegally into Syria.
The 22-year-old refugee, from Aleppo in Syria, is believed to be a recruiter for Hezbollah in Lebanon. The political organisation has come under fire in recent months after numerous reports revealed that Hezbollah members are fighting alongside Assad’s troops in the Syrian conflict.
Ahmed is believed to have offered citizens 8,000 Egyptian pounds a month to become fighters in Syria –a significant sum for many ordinary Egyptians.
During a raid on his flat in the Melaha area, security sources have revealed that they found a number of guns, phones and iPads, as well as sound and imaging equipment.
Ahmed is expected to faces charges in a Suez court for soliciting citizens as well as the possession of sophisticated weapons without a license.