CAIRO (AP) – Egyptian security forces detained hundreds of people, including foreigners, on the country’s border withSudan, accusing them of illegal gold mining and smuggling, the military said Monday.

Egypt’s southern region is rich with gold mines and the government has launched big mining projects there including the Sukari megaproject.

The military statement said the detainees included 87 Egyptians and 136 other foreigners, without naming their countries. The operation included the seizure of “large amounts of equipment and devices used in illegal mining operations,” the military statement said.