Amid the ongoing crackdown on homosexuals in Egypt, Alexandria police arrested 9 men on Monday, accusing them of engaging in "debauchery" and homosexual activity, Egypt Independent reported. 

In his statement on the matter, head of the Alexandria Security Directorate, Mustafa al-Nimr, deemed the men's behavior a "threat to public security."

The arrests came after forces from Dekheila's police department received information from people claiming that 'weird' young men had frequently been visiting the apartment. 

After investigating the matter, authorities found evidence that group-sex parties were being held at the address. They then ordered the police to raid the place, which is located in western Alexandria.

Further inquiries into the case revealed that the men had worried about getting arrested. They would use codes when speaking with members of the community who frequently attended events that were held there.

The most recent in a series of arrests targeting Egypt's LGBTQ community

According to Egypt Independent, "homosexuality is not illegal in Egypt, but since the 1990s, police have been employing a 1950 anti-prostitution law and a 1961 law against 'debauchery' to arrest and imprison homosexuals."

Last year, Egyptian authorities intensified their crackdown on the country's LGBTQ community. In September 2017, Egypt's Musicians syndicate said that it will ban Lebanese indie band Mashrou' Leila - whose lead singer Hamed Sinno is openly gay - from ever performing in the country again. 

This happened a few days after the band appeared on stage to a sold-out crowd of 35,000 people in Egypt's Cairo Festival City. 

A day later, seven people were arrested for raising rainbow flags - which authorities referred to as the "flag of homosexuals" - during the concert. 

The individuals were detained on charges of "promoting sexual deviancy" and "inciting immorality." 

Since then, at least 70 people have been arrested in the country as part of the ongoing crackdown on the gay and transgender community. 

According to media reports from earlier last year, Egyptian police have even been targeting gay men through hookup apps like Grindr.