Egypt arrests businessman once dubbed Mubarak-era ‘thug’

Egyptian authorities have arrested businessman Sabry Nakhnoukh, a notorious figure from the Hosni Mubarak era who later re-emerged in public life after receiving a pardon under the current administration.

Nakhnoukh is under investigation on suspicion of leading “an organized criminal group” accused of “imposing control, practicing thuggery through force and threats and disrupting public order,” the public prosecution saysin a statement.

أعلنت النيابة العامة في مصر، السبت، تفاصيل التحقيقات مع "صبري نخنوخ"، بعدما تلقت بلاغاً من أحد أصحاب معارض السيارات باقتحام معرضه على إثر خلافات مالية. https://t.co/ZY9E8VDKmt pic.twitter.com/exIDNV9uWN

— Asharq News الشرق للأخبار (@AsharqNews) June 6, 2026

Prosecutors say the group allegedly used a private security company as a front for its activities, relying on money and weapons to facilitate its operations.

Nakhnoukh has long been a controversial figure in Egypt, accused by critics and activists of running a network linked to powerful individuals during longtime leader Mubarak’s rule and acting as a “baltagi” — meaning a thug or hired enforcer.

The latest investigation followed a complaint from the owner of a car dealership, who alleged that Nakhnoukh and several others stormed the premises during a financial dispute. The complaint said an employee was assaulted and that the group seized the site’s surveillance recording device.

Prosecutors say the recording device was recovered during searches of properties linked to the businessman, as well as weapons and ammunition, five unlicensed communication devices and 10 antiquities.