Cop suspected of smuggling Palestinians into Israel
Border Guard officer stationed in capital allegedly bribed by three east Jerusalem residents, facilitates smuggling of illegal aliens into country
Several weeks ago, the Police Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) launched an undercover investigation against the suspected officer and three residents of east Jerusalem, after learning they had been smuggling dozens of illegal Palestinian aliens into Israel through various checkpoints in the greater Jerusalem area, for a period of several months.
An IAB source said the department believes the officer's actions "gravely endangered public safety."
The investigation revealed that the three civilian suspects paid the officer a fee for every Palestinian who was smuggled into Israel, the bribe eventually amounting to thousands of shekels.
A Border Guard statement said that the officer was arrested following an investigation into an illegal aliens' smuggling ring.
Once the information led investigators to believe an officer was involved, "the Border Guard Command promptly turned the investigation over to the Internal Affairs Bureau and lent it its full cooperation. The Border Guard Command denounces any illegal activity within its ranks."
The four will be arraigned by the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
