Israeli couple accused of Iranian espionage, assassination plot
A pair of former immigrants from Israel, ages 30 and 18, received instructions from elements in the Islamic Republic
The Iranians strike again - and this time in Ramat Gan: Less than a month after the exposure of the Moti Maman affair - an indictment was filed today (Monday) in another serious security case of an Israeli couple, accused of making contact with Iranian elements for money.
According to the details that were allowed to be published, the defendants are immigrants from the former Soviet Union countries. The man, 30, is an immigrant from Ukraine, the woman, 18, immigrated from Belarus. Recently, they lived together in the "Leonardo City Tower" in Ramat Gan.
The indictment alleges that in recent months Iranian elements approached the two and began to explore the possibility of carrying out such and other actions.
The tasks began with a low level of difficulty - such as hanging signs and flyers "Bibi Hitler" and so on. Every task that the Iranians asked to perform - the suspects were asked to document, and then they would receive the payment - several thousand dollars.
In the next stage, the Iranians proposed to the couple to burn vehicles - for instance, the suspect went and burned cars in Yarkon Park - until at certain point, the Iranian authorities requested the elimination of a zero-range target. According to the indictment, there is currently correspondence between the Iranian factor and the spouse, in which he expresses consent to carry out the assassination for tens of thousands of dollars.
In order to implement the plan, the partner even made contact with a gun dealer, and showed interest in various firearms. At this stage, after an undercover investigation, it became clear that the defendant was already at an advanced stage, close to action. The police decided not to take a risk and arrested the couple.
During their investigation, the couple confessed to their involvement, cooperated, and linked another guy to the case. The investigation revealed that their motive was financial. Even when they understood that they were dealing with an Iranian factor, they claimed in the investigation that they could not stop because they needed economic aid. The couple confessed to the investigators who apprehended them and expressed regret.
This is not an isolated incident - it is a pattern of behavior that has been repeating itself in recent months, demonstrating the Iranians' determination to establish domestic terror cells that will carry out missions on their behalf, with the aim of harming the country's security.
The profile of recruits identified by the security system: People who are non-native Israeli citizens, meaning not Sabras, like for example, former Soviet Union immigrants.