Egyptian security forces destroyed 10 tunnels used to smuggle contraband to the besieged Gaza Strip after a tip-off from a runner arrested last week, a security official said yesterday.

The tunnels were found north of the Egyptian border town of Rafah late on Sunday after Mohamed al-Shaer gave details of their location, the official told AFP, adding that the tunnels were immediately destroyed.

Shaer was arrested last week at the Rafah border crossing as he tried to enter Gaza on false documents. He was one of the most wanted smugglers in the area and could provide vital information on smuggling networks operating in Egypt, the official said.