Israel's border with Egypt
Photo: Lior Yado
IDF troops suspected of arms trade
Six soldiers arrested under suspicion of involvement in weapons’ sales, drugs smugglings through Egypt border
Six southern command soldiers were arrested Monday by the military police for their suspected involvement in drug deals and weapons sales.
The soldiers were taken in for questioning at the Central Unit for Special Investigations in Jaffa, and are expected to arrive at the southern command’s military court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
A military source said that the extent of the affair was still unknown, but assured that others involved would also be arrested as more evidence in the case was revealed. The military police was investigating possible connections between the suspects and civilian sources.
The investigation began after southern command officials suspected unusual activity amongst soldiers serving at the border. Military police investigators raided the suspects’ unit Sunday morning, and arrested the six; five regular officers and one non-commissioned officer.
A military source refused to say whether the six soldiers were suspected of aiding criminal or terror sources near the border. “At this stage I can only say they certainly weren’t helping with IDF operations at the border and were operating in ways opposite to what their assignments required.”
Apparently, all of the suspected soldiers served in combat units. Some of them were Bedouin soldiers whose job was to thwart terror threats and expose smuggling attempts.
A military source said that this was the time for the IDF to “take a thorough look at the different sectors that serve in sensitive positions”.
