The Southern District Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment today (Thursday) in the Be’er Sheva District Court against three residents of the Negev suspected of involvement in smuggling weapons from Jordan into Israel using a drone.
According to a joint statement by the Israel Security Agency and the Israel Police, the three were arrested in January during a joint operation conducted by the Southern District Major Crimes Unit, the Shin Bet, and the Israel Defense Forces near the Jordanian border.
The defendants are Ismail Al-Kashhar (50) from the Janabib Bedouin area, Ala Sa’dayin (31) from the Janabib area, and Faiz Amrani (26) from the Abu Qrinat area.
During the operation, the IDF seized a drone that had crossed from Jordan into Israel carrying 36 pistols and 63 magazines. After the suspects were arrested, both they and the seized weapons were transferred to officers at the Arad police station who assisted in the operation.
An investigation by the Shin Bet and the Southern District Major Crimes Unit established an evidentiary basis linking the three to the smuggling attempt. Based on this evidence, indictments were filed against them along with a request to keep them in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
Security officials emphasized that weapons smuggling through Israel’s borders poses a significant security risk, as the weapons could also end up in the hands of terrorist organizations.
The police and the Shin Bet stated that they will continue to act to thwart weapons smuggling and bring to justice those involved in activities that endanger the security of the state.