74 hands guns seized as smuggling in southern Israel thwarted
Two Israelis from Negev desert Bedouin communities were arrested after the incident, with the weapons on route to Israel from Jordan
Israel Police and customs inspectors in Eilat thwarted the smuggling of weapons, including 74 pistols and 61 magazines, at the Yitzhak Rabin crossing from Jordan to Israel, police said Monday.
Two suspects, the driver and passenger of a vehicle entering Israel, were arrested while an investigation into the incident is underway. They are residents of the Bedouin communities of Bir Hadaj and the Yerucham environs in the Negev Desert. The police reported that "as part of the fight against the phenomena of smuggling and illegal weapons trafficking, the Southern District operates, led by District Commander Amir Cohen, to regularly prevent the infiltration of weapons from the borders into the country. These weapons are suspected to be used by offenders and criminals to commit serious crimes."
During a check by customs inspectors at the border crossing, 74 "Glock"-type guns and 61 magazines hidden in a Mitsubishi vehicle were found. At the end of the investigation into the two suspects and based on the evidence gathered against them, they will be brought to court at the Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court with a request to extend their detention.
The vehicle used by the suspects for the smuggling was confiscated.