Egyptian border guards arrested five African migrants attempting to enter Israel from Egypt illegally, police said on Tuesday.
A police patrol near the borders spotted the migrants as they tried to cross into Israel. They surrendered after the guards fired warning shots into the air, DPA reported.
The five migrants, identified as three Eritreans and two Ethiopians, are being held in a prison in the nearby town of al- Arish, police said.
Police added that they have confessed to paying 1,000 US dollars each to human traffickers in the Sinai peninsula to smuggle them across the border, adding that they had hoped to travel to Israel to find work.
Egyptian border guards frequently stop African migrants trying to cross the country's desert border with Israel, sometimes using lethal force, drawing criticism from international rights groups.
Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to build a barrier along its border with Egypt, saying he aimed to secure Israel's "Jewish and democratic character."
Israel cannot allow "thousands of illegal workers to infiltrate Israel via the southern border and flood our country," Netanyahu said.