Weapons instead of drugs: drug smuggling is expanding, criminals are motivated by money but also by nationalism

The number of weapons smuggled into Israel has been increasing in recent years, when it is estimated that there are tens of thousands of illegal weapons in the hands of criminals, mainly in the Arab sector.

Despite the efforts of the security forces to eradicate the phenomenon, the smugglers are not deterred and continue their activities due, among other things, to the high value of the weapons in Israel

Shlomi Heller and Vinir Yagne

09/17/2022

Saturday, September 17, 2022, 08:00 Updated: 08:26

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The wave of illegal drug smuggling into Israel from Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt does not stop and only gets worse, in the absence of a hermetic border, and in view of the vacuum created by the lack of military personnel along the borders, the police recognize the strategic threat and invest effort to thwart the smuggling with the help of the IDF.

Although they manage to register significant achievements, this does not deter the Israeli and foreign smugglers from continuing their criminal activities and smuggling drugs and deadly weapons to perpetrators of crime and terrorist elements in Israel, among other things, due to the large financial profit they scoop into their pockets.

The assessment among security officials is that today in Israel there are tens of thousands of illegal weapons that are strengthened by perpetrators of crime, in Arab society in particular, that have been stockpiled over the years for the purpose of deterrence until actual use that ends in injury and death.

The characteristics of the smuggling that has been thwarted in the last three years are usually a larger amount of weapons and illegal drugs and less drugs such as cocaine and marijuana, and this is due to the huge profit inherent in selling them in Israel. For example, the 4th and 5th generation Glock pistols, among the most advanced on the market, whose cost is estimated at $2,000 are priced in the Israeli market at about NIS 45,000. The M-16, whose cost is estimated at several thousand dollars, is sold in the Israeli market for NIS 110-90,000, and the Kalashnikov rifle at NIS 60,000. On the other hand, the demand for the Carlo rifle is decreasing due to the operational need of Criminals for a reliable and accurate weapon.

Weapons seized during the arrest of drug dealers in Samaria (Photo: Israel Police spokesmen)

In the northern district of the police, and with an emphasis on the central unit under the command of the head of the Yamar, Meni Binyamin, together with the district YGAL unit, they are well aware of the smuggling phenomenon for many years and have been dealing with it even before it spread to other districts.

For example, until the Northern Shield operation in 2018, in which terrorist tunnels of the terrorist organization Hezbollah were thwarted into Israel, the organization tried to maintain calm in the sector and no large-scale smuggling of IML was carried out. However, after the operation, there was a dramatic increase in the number of IML smuggling under the auspices of Hezbollah, Both in the quantities and the high quality of the weapons.

At the same time, the perforated Israel-Jordan border line is more preferred for IDF smugglers. In the past, most of the weapons were diverted to the territories, and accordingly, those who led the smuggling operations from the Israeli side were Palestinians living in the territories, who sold a certain part of the weapons to perpetrators of crime in the Arab society in Israel But today most of the weapons and ammunition go directly to Israeli Arab criminals, and thus the relationship between the parties has tightened to a level where Israeli Arabs, from the Triangle in the north to the Bedouin diaspora in the south, defeat the smuggling operations and manage the ammunition trade without any fear.

The types of goods smuggled at the borders in the district sector change dramatically all the time, from drugs to weapons, and thus, in recent years, the smugglers at the Lebanese border changed phase, and began to prioritize the smuggling of illegal drugs over cocaine and drugs of various kinds, not only for economic reasons but also for nationalistic reasons. For example, in the case of the smuggling of amlach that was seized while guarding the Walls, including 180 grenades, intended for the "Brothers in the Galilee", that is, for Israeli Arab citizens in the north against police and security forces during the riots at the Walls. Another case, the attack in which Eliyahu Kay was murdered by The terrorist Fadi Abu Shhidim in Jerusalem was executed using a standard weapon that was estimated to have originated from smuggling ammunition from Jordan.

The attack that happened at the beginning of the week in the Bekaa against the soldiers' bus was also carried out according to estimates using weapons smuggled from the Jordanian border.

On the Syrian border, on the other hand, the illegal smuggling mainly contains Soviet weapons such as Kalashnikovs,

Thwarting the smuggling of weapons smuggled from Lebanon (Photo: Israel Police Spokesperson, North)

The Jordan-Israel border borders the length of Israel from north to south, and is an interface point between the northern and southern police districts.

Since the arrival of the Negev Region Sub-Commissioner Nachshon Nagler, and under the command of Commander Peretz Amr to his position, emphasis has been given to offensive activity against the perpetrators of crime and arms smuggling, this in the face of the increase in the scope of the phenomenon.

Since the beginning of 2022, approximately 12 illegal smuggling operations have been thwarted in the Southern District, a significant increase from previous years, with the thwarting of five smuggling operations in 2021 and three in 2020.

On the Israel-Egypt border, on the other hand, drugs are mainly smuggled, from cannabis of all types to cocaine and heroin, which make their way from Ethiopia Through Cairo to the Israel-Egypt border, straight to the Israeli drug dealers who are not satisfied with smuggling through flights and mail.

Some of the drug smuggling moves in the opposite way, from Israel to Egypt.

These are mainly high-quality cloned cannabis seeds that are smuggled into Israel from Europe, mainly from Holland and Belgium, thanks to the good connections between Israeli and European merchants.

From there they make their way to Sinai, where they grow in the fields of Bedouins, who bring back the harvest later on.

Drug smuggling at the Egyptian border is in the hundreds every year, but is decreasing as a result of police activity with the help of the IDF.

More in Walla!

A senior criminal who assisted the police led to the conviction of dozens of arms dealers

To the full article

Drug shipments seized by the IDF and the police in the Eilat area, last month (Photo: Israel Police Spokesperson)

Smuggling methods: Today, the relationship between the Israeli smugglers and their partners across the border is direct and unmediated.

When a drug or drug deal is closed, the payment is transferred via change or an internet transfer. In the second stage of the transaction, the smugglers are sent to a predetermined point in the fence, where the goods are thrown from side to side and collected later.

The arrival at the fence is also possible without interruption. In the northern sector, mainly In agricultural areas, the Balders impersonate farmers and move through the area with agricultural vehicles in order not to arouse suspicion, and thus collect the goods. In the Jordan region and around Highway 90, the Balders arrive with privates, while in the Arava they travel with Landcruisers and buggies. In the recent past, Balders were even caught arriving with children or sending woman to impersonate unsuspecting travelers.

Commander of the YGAL unit in the southern police district, Deputy Chief Ronen Halfon: "In recent years, all branches of the law enforcement system in the State of Israel have understood the need of the hour and the strategic threat of illegal drug smuggling. We have a full partnership in the fight against illegal drug smugglers, not only the police Israel bears this burden, but other bodies such as the IDF, the Shin Bet and more, together with them we move along the borders with the aim of thwarting any smuggling."

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