Israeli authorities have indicted a 27-year-old man from Be’er Yaakov for acting as an agent for Iran in exchange for thousands of dollars, the State Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday.
Or Baylin is accused of conducting espionage activities on behalf of Iran over a four-month period, communicating with his handler via the Telegram messaging app. According to the indictment, Baylin carried out numerous tasks aimed at harming Israel from November 2024 through February 2025.
The indictment details that Baylin spray-painted anti-government and pro-Iranian slogans including “Bibi is the enemy of humanity,” receiving between 70 shekels and 100 shekels per incident in cryptocurrency. He was also instructed to hide cash in various locations around Israel and photograph the actions, earning 100 shekels to 200 shekels per task.
Baylin purchased hidden cameras for surveillance but ceased operations after the handler expressed dissatisfaction with the image quality. He was later asked to buy a drone for filming but refused. The indictment also states that Baylin bought Israel Defense Forces uniforms, set them on fire while recording the act and received 1,000 shekels paid to his digital wallet. When requested to repeat this, he purchased the uniforms again but did not carry out the act.
Toward the end of his involvement, Baylin was directed to set fire to vehicles and trash bins, photograph military bases, strategic sites and homes of elected officials and learn bomb-making techniques. The handler’s final request — installing a live-streaming camera at a specific location — was not completed.
For the completed missions, Baylin received approximately $8,947.
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The prosecution requested Baylin remain in custody throughout the legal proceedings, stating he acted on behalf of a hostile foreign agent compromising Israel’s security amid ongoing complex multi-front conflicts.
This indictment is part of a broader crackdown on espionage for Iran. In May, Dmitry Cohen, 28, from Haifa, was arrested and charged with spying for Iran in exchange for Bitcoin payments. Cohen reportedly documented IDF bases, strategic sites and residences of senior officials after connecting with an Iranian agent through a job search site for Russian immigrants. At the same time, a 27-year-old man from Tel Aviv was also detained on similar charges involving thousands of dollars in virtual currency.
Israeli police warn that dozens of individuals are currently believed to be working for Iran, gathering sensitive information that could threaten national security.