Six Israeli citizens were arrested after a network of weapons and drugs smugglers operating from the Egyptian and Jordanian borders was discovered, Israeli police announced in a statement on Sunday.
An investigation carried out by the Shin Bet and the Central Unit of the Negev, the primary law enforcement unit for the Israel Police's Southern District, found that members of the network were involved in dozens of weapons and drug smuggling operations from 2024 to 2026.
The operations were conducted using drones and other vehicles, said the police.
Dozens of pistols, dozens of M16 assault rifles, three machine guns, thousands of rounds of various types of ammunition, and large quantities of drugs were smuggled into Israeli territory during the two years of operations, added the police’s statement.
Some smuggling attempts thwarted
Some of the smuggling attempts had been thwarted by security forces operating on the border.
The investigation found that the six suspects, all residents of the Negev, were responsible for buying and trafficking the weapons within the smuggling network.
Indictments against the suspects were filed at the end of the investigation, the police added.