Israeli security forces busted a plot to smuggle a large stash of weapons into Israel through the Lebanese border, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday.
A preliminary investigation into the incident found that Israeli troops managed to seize the contraband — which consisted of 43 Glock pistols, some brand new and included magazines and silencers — on the Lebanese side of the border.
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Dozens of pistols seized by Israeli security forces on the Lebanese border, July 10, 2021
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The military is yet to ascertain whether the weapons were intended to be used to carry out terrorist acts in Israel on behalf of the Hezbollah terrorist group. The Iranian-backed terror outfit has carried out several smuggling operations in recent years in which explosive devices were similarly smuggled through criminal elements.
So far, no suspects have been arrested in the incident.
It was the fifth time Israeli forces managed to intercept smuggling attempts from Lebanon since the beginning of 2021, raising concerns among defense officials these incidents may have been tied to the northern neighbor's economic and political turmoil.
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Surveillance footage of an arms smuggling attempt through the Lebanese border thwarted by Israeli security forces
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The seized contraband was intended to be sold to Israeli criminal syndicates to the tune of millions and help fund Hezbollah's operations.
However, defense officials note that they are seeing an alarming trend of rogue elements within the terrorist group acting independently without the approval of the organization's top brass, thus endangering the relative calm on the northern border.