A 22-year-old student at Ben-Gurion University was arrested this month on suspicion of conducting spying missions under the direction of Iranian intelligence operatives, the Shin Bet and Israel Police announced Thursday.
The student, Bashar Musa, a resident of Deir al-Asad in northern Israel, allegedly maintained contact with an Iranian agent for several months and carried out tasks at their instruction, including scattering nails on a major road in Be’er Sheva and sharing divisive rhetoric online. Authorities said he was paid for the activities and acted out of sympathy with Gaza.
The investigation was led by the Shin Bet and the Israel Police’s Northern District. An indictment against the suspect is expected to be filed in the coming days.
“This is a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by Iranian intelligence,” the Shin Bet said in a joint statement with police. “Passing information to the enemy, even if it seems minor, assists them in their war against Israel. Security forces will continue to identify and foil acts of terror and espionage directed by enemy entities.”
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Musa’s arrest is the latest in a string of alleged Iranian-backed espionage cases involving Israeli citizens. In late May, Dimitri Cohen, 28, from Haifa, was arrested on suspicion of transferring sensitive information, including images of IDF bases, strategic sites and the homes of senior officials, to Iranian operatives.
Footage of Israel Police search in home of suspect arrested in Tel Aviv
(Video: Israel Police)
Investigators said he was recruited through a Russian-language job searching website and received $500 in bitcoin for each mission. He is also expected to be indicted.
Another suspect, a 27-year-old from Tel Aviv, was arrested this week on allegations he conducted surveillance on government and military targets, sprayed graffiti and maintained months-long contact with an Iranian agent. According to authorities, he was paid thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency.