Israeli authorities cracked down on an arms smuggling network in the country’s south, the Israel Police said in a statement on Thursday.
Four members of the network from the Azazima Bedouin tribe were indicted earlier in the day by the Southern District Attorney’s Office at the Beersheva District Court, the statement read.
They were arrested about a month ago in a joint operation of the Southern Police District’s Major Crimes Unit (Yamar Darom), the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the Israel Defense Forces.
According to police, the four suspects revealed during questioning that they were involved in significant arms-smuggling operations from the Sinai border using drones. It was further revealed that during the smuggling activities, members of the cell monitored IDF radio communications.
During one of the smuggling attempts, four MAG machine guns were seized after being transported on a drone that was downed by IDF troops.
Smugglers in Israel and Egypt have been collaborating to bring over restricted items from Sinai, including weapons.
In November, Israel declared the area along its 130-mile border with Egypt a closed military zone to combat smuggling.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s office said at the time that the order was designed to “turn the border-adjacent area into a closed military zone and change the rules of engagement to strike drone operators and smugglers by targeting any unauthorized element penetrating the off-limits area.”
Overnight Tuesday, Israeli forces intercepted a drone carrying 20 M-16 rifles from Egypt into Israel, the IDF said in a statement.
The Israeli Air Force’s Air Control Unit detected the aircraft and troops from the Paran Brigade shot it down, the military added. The drone was also carrying additional gun barrels and stocks.
(The Paran Brigade border security formation incorporates the mixed gender Caracal, Lions of Jordan, Cheetah and Bardalas infantry battalions, serving within the 80th “Edom” Division.)
“Attempts to smuggle weapons, drugs and various criminal items into Israeli territory have increased significantly in recent months,” the IDF said.
