Ben Zygier, who reportedly committed suicide in jail in 2010, was arrested when he was about to divulge sensitive information about Mossad operations, an Australian newspaper says.
The Brisbane Times reported Thursday that Australian security officials suspect Zygier intended to pass on the information to the Australian government or the press.
Earlier Thursday, a Kuwaiti newspaper theorized that Zygier was involved in a major spy case – and was prepared to endanger many Israeli agents who were also involved. According to the story, based on Western “sources familiar with the case,” Zygier had been involved in the murder of top Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. According to the report, he tried to sell the names of other Israeli agents involved in the operation to police in Dubai, and in exchange, received cash and protection from authorities there.
However, he was tracked down by Mossad agents, who removed him from Dubai and brought him back to Israel, where he was to be tried for traitorous activities and spying. The story is unsourced, and the Kuwaiti paper did not present corroborating evidence, other than the anonymous testimony of those quoted in the story.