The Southern District Attorney's Office filed a serious indictment with the Beer Sheva District Court against five people involved in the infrastructure for smuggling weapons from the eastern border to the territories of Judea and Samaria.
The indictment was filed after a joint operation by the Shin Bet, the IDF, and the Southern Command of the police exposed the smuggling network.
Several months ago, following early intelligence information from the Shin Bet, and under the direction of Southern Military District fighters, IDF forces identified a drone that had crossed from Jordanian territory into Israeli territory. After identification, the drone was intercepted while carrying several guns.
In recent months, four Israeli citizens, residents of the Negev, along with a resident of Judea and Samaria, have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in a weapons smuggling network.
Two of the suspects were arrested in real time during a smuggling attempt, in possession of 10 Glock 17 pistols and 10 matching cartridges.
The defendants are four residents of the Negev, Wahel al-Sara'a, Madayan al-Sara'a, Zaid Abu Goyad and Ali al-Sara'a, and Nassar Negada, a resident of Yatta in Judea and Samaria.
Their investigation by the Shin Bet and the police revealed that members of the infrastructure were involved in a number of smuggling operations from the Jordanian border using drones, during which they smuggled about 44 guns into Israeli territory and about 120 kilograms of a dangerous drug, hashish, into Jordanian territory.
The investigation also revealed that some of the smuggled weapons - including M-16 rifles and ammunition - were sold to a resident of Judea and Samaria, and from there they were distributed through him in the area.
After their interrogation by the Shin Bet and the Israel Police, the Southern District Attorney's Office filed a serious indictment against them in the Beer Sheva District Court.
""This is a significant disruption of an infrastructure whose activities harmed the security of the state," the statement said. "The findings of the investigation indicate the close and dangerous connection between the smuggling of weapons across the borders and terrorist activity that could harm the citizens of the State of Israel.".
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