Following a lengthy undercover operation led by investigators from the Etgar Unit and in cooperation with the Lahav 433 unit, Israeli police arrested dozens of suspects accused of illegal weapons trafficking and drug offenses.
At the center of the operation was Lahav 433's first-ever undercover agent from the Bedouin community.
The agent, known by the operational codename "Nomad," spent an extended period infiltrating criminal networks, penetrating deeply into underground criminal activity in multiple regions and gathering evidence against dozens of suspects, including several identified as major crime figures.
During the operation, "Nomad" carried out a series of controlled purchases of illegal weapons and drugs. The agent bought numerous illegal weapons from criminal suspects, including four M16 assault rifles, dozens of handguns, and approximately half a kilogram of cocaine. These activities enabled the agent to infiltrate areas where arms traffickers believed they could operate beyond the reach of law enforcement, documenting meetings and transactions and incriminating those involved.
Once the investigation entered its overt phase, hundreds of police officers, Border Police personnel, and elite units raided dozens of locations across Israel on Monday morning.
The arrests and searches were carried out in numerous communities and cities, including Rahat, Tel Sheva, Bir Hadaj, Arad, Dimona, Eilat, and Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem.
Dozens of suspects were arrested, including 20 individuals identified as major crime targets by law enforcement authorities.
Police Commissioner Danny Levy commented: "The 'Nomad' affair demonstrates once again that there is no place where criminals can feel immune from the long arm of the Israel Police. The deployment of the undercover agent, together with the professional work of Lahav 433 investigators and fighters and the partner units, led to the exposure of dozens of suspects and the prevention of illegal weapons and drug transactions that could have cost human lives. We will continue operating forcefully, both overtly and covertly, against the drivers of crime and violence wherever they operate."
Lahav 433 Commander Meni Binyamin said, "The exposure of the Nomad affair was the result of "a complex intelligence, investigative, and operational effort led over an extended period by the Etgar Unit and the Lahav 433 Undercover Agents Department."
"The agent's infiltration into the heart of criminal organizations enabled us to gather significant evidence, expose a large-scale criminal network, and deliver a major blow to arms and drug traffickers operating across the country," he said. "Lahav 433 will continue to act with determination, creativity, and every tool at its disposal against criminal organizations that endanger public safety."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also praised the operation, saying, "This is what an initiative-driven, offensive, and determined police force looks like."
"Hundreds of officers and fighters simultaneously raiding dozens of targets and reaching arms and drug traffickers-that is exactly the policy we are leading: moving from defense to offense, pursuing crime and not allowing it to raise its head."
"I commend the police commissioner, the Lahav 433 commander, Lahav 433 officers, Border Police officers, and the special units for their professional and determined work. We will continue to provide the police with the tools and backing needed to fight crime with full force."