The Egyptian Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of the famous blogger known as “Otaka”, fiancé of content creator Hadir Abdelrazek, on charges related to money laundering amounting to 12 million Egyptian pounds and drug trafficking. The suspect, a resident of Giza Governorate with a criminal record, was detained during an intensive security campaign targeting social media celebrities involved in illegal activities. According to the Ministry’s statement, “Otaka” created a social media page to publish videos violating public morals and Egyptian societal values to increase views and earn illicit profits. He used these profits to purchase real estate and cars worth a total of 12 million pounds, attempting to conceal the illegal sources through fictitious deals. Investigations by the Narcotics and Unlicensed Weapons Department, in coordination with relevant ministry agencies, revealed his involvement in drug trafficking.

During the arrest, drugs and electronic devices used to manage his social media accounts, which attract thousands of young followers, were found. This operation is part of ongoing security efforts by Egyptian authorities to combat money laundering, as investigations have uncovered the involvement of several social media celebrities exploiting their fame for illegal gains through fake advertisements, fake companies, and misleading marketing deals. The Economic and Money Laundering Prosecution has started investigations with ten other celebrities detained in similar cases, some found in possession of unlicensed firearms.