Iyad Jamil Assad al-Johari
Druze suspected of spying for Syria
Shin Bet, Northern District Police officers arrest Majdal Shams resident for allegedly spying on IDF operations in north on behalf of Syrian intelligence
Cleared for publication: Shin Bet and Northern District Police officers have arrested a Druze resident of Majdal Shams on suspicion of spying for Syria.
Iyad Jamil Assad al-Johari, 38, was indicted Monday on charges of contacting a foreign agent and divulging information to an enemy agent.
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The indictment, filed with the Nazareth District Court, alleges that al-Johari, a medical student who resided in Syria in 2002-2012, was in regular contact with Syrian intelligence agents and gave them information about IDF deployment across the Golan Heights and the northern border.
According to available details, al-Johari, who was arrested in June, admitted that between 2005 and 2008 he had direct contact with several Syrian intelligence officers.
According to him, his handlers would instruct him as to the kind of information they needed him to gather while he was visiting his family in Israel, during summer vacations.
He also admitted to using his vacation in Israel to buy equipment needed by his handlers.
Shin Bet sources said that al-Johari admitted to giving his handlers information regarding IDF bases in northern Israel, including names, locations and size and information about IDF deployment near the border.
He also shared information about the security protocols in the Quneitra border crossing; the security outfit on the Majdal Shams border fence and the relevant IDF deployment in the area.
The Shin Bet said that al-Johari also transferred equipment to his handlers, including Hebrew books, an Israeli SIM card, an Israeli military radio he said he had found by chance, and a map of the Golan Heights.
The investigation also derived that he tried to recruit two of his friends to act as informants, asking them to supply him with information of a military nature, or any other information Syrian intelligence service may find interesting.
Authorities said that several other people were detained in relation to the case, but were later released.
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