In recent months, an undercover investigation has been conducted at Lahav 433, together with the Southern Regional Police Department and the Yahalom Unit of the Tax Authority, on suspicion of committing money laundering offenses, income omission, and offsetting fictitious invoices.
Today (Monday), the investigation became public and in a timed operation, police forces raided the homes of 10 targets, residents of the south of the country, searches were conducted and numerous documents and property were seized for confiscation.
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It is suspected that the suspects purchased hundreds of drones that were transferred to criminal elements from the Bedouin diaspora, who used them to smuggle drugs and weapons across the southern border.
The investigation shows that the companies used cover to conceal the identity of the criminals who used the drones.
These are large transport drones, which are used to smuggle weapons across the Israel-Egypt border.
The method was published this evening in 'Kan News' - which involves using companies that appear legitimate, which purchase the drones and the smugglers pay for them in cash.
According to the investigation, dozens of companies were used to purchase between 300 and 320 Flycard transport drones, each of which was sold on the black market for 120,000-140,000 shekels. In total, the scope of the transaction currently under investigation is 40 million shekels.
The method worked like this: The companies, including some that deal in gardening, bought the drones from the marketing companies. This was so that the transactions would not be registered in the names of the criminal organizations and criminals in the diaspora and without an invoice in their names.
In the next stage, the criminals buy the aircraft for cash. So far, only a few drones have been seized, and they were associated with these transactions, according to the marketing companies.
Some of those involved confessed during the investigation. Some said they had never seen the drone but had only used it as a platform for a sale. They received cash, gave an invoice, and among them were some who claimed they had no idea that it was a sale of drones.
