The suspect, a man with a criminal record, attempted to steal a radar installed on the Ring Road in Qalyub city, the ministry said.

Images circulated in the media showed the damage to the radar.

According to the media reports, the suspect damaged the equipment by breaking the radar apart to steal its individual components.

The man confessed the crime to the police and relevant legal measures have been taken, the ministry noted.

Police identified the suspect by using “modern security techniques,” the statement added without further elaboration.

Over the past few years, Egyptian authorities have installed a large number of new cutting-edge speed radars and cameras on highways around the capital and nationwide as the country has toughened laws to curb road accidents.

In November 2021, Parliament approved new amendments to Traffic Law 66/1973 to support a smart transport system and apply stricter penalties for traffic violations.

The new law punishes a number of traffic violations, including using devices that detect or affect the operation of radar or electronic stickers, by a hefty fine or a prison sentence.