The Israel police on Wednesday released footage from a high-speed chase that ended in the arrest of a weapons dealer suspected of involvement in a major arms smuggling operation from the Jordanian border.
The case has led to indictments against more than 10 suspects—residents of the Israeli Bedouin towns of Bir Hadaj and al-Azazmeh, and the Palestinian West Bank town of Idhna—who allegedly smuggled over 80 firearms of various types into Israel. Some of the smuggled handguns were later used in terror attacks that killed two police officers and injured others.
The high-speed police chase
(Video: Israel Police)
One of the most recent suspects indicted in the weapons smuggling case is Salem al-Tuhi, 21, a resident of the al-Azazmeh tribe in southern Israel. He was apprehended after a dramatic high-speed chase involving gunfire and dangerous driving. Al-Tuhi had been wanted for questioning in connection with the smuggling ring and was captured due to the vigilance of officers from the Yoav police unit, which specializes in law enforcement and land regulation in the Negev, particularly within Bedouin communities. Following his arrest, al-Tuhi claimed he fled in panic when shots were fired at him, allegedly unaware that his pursuers were police officers.
In the released footage, al-Tuhi’s vehicle is seen speeding along Highway 60 as officers on motorcycles attempt to pull him over. Instead of complying, he accelerated toward Highway 40, reaching speeds exceeding 180 km/h (112 mph), weaving dangerously between lanes and forcing other drivers to swerve to avoid collisions.
During the pursuit on Route 406, police fired at the vehicle’s tires in an attempt to bring it to a halt. Al-Tuhi continued to flee, driving over a traffic island and into oncoming lanes. At one point, he veered off-road, prompting the passenger beside him to flee on foot. Al-Tuhi then drove wildly into a military firing zone, with police in close pursuit, firing additional rounds at the tires.
At one point during the pursuit, al-Tuhi came to a sudden stop and reversed his car in the direction of an officer, in what authorities described as an attempt to ram him and evade arrest. The officer responded with additional gunfire. Despite the shots, al-Tuhi continued fleeing until he was ultimately apprehended by police and security forces. Police later confirmed that his passenger had sustained gunshot wounds to the feet and was evacuated to Soroka Medical Center by the Magen David Adom ambulance service for treatment.
Al-Tuhi faces multiple charges, including weapons smuggling, attempted aggravated assault and reckless endangerment on a public roadway. In the request to keep him in custody until the end of proceedings, prosecutors wrote: “The defendant acted like a hardened criminal, fleeing uniformed officers on marked police motorcycles, endangering his passenger, other road users and police with his reckless and high-speed driving. His later attempt to run over a uniformed officer shows he poses a clear danger to the public.”
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The large-scale smuggling operation, deemed a serious threat to national security, was uncovered through a joint Shin Bet and police investigation. As part of the probe, several suspects surrendered 34 handguns and four long guns. Authorities estimate the network had smuggled approximately 80 firearms in total, with plans to sell them for roughly NIS 1.5 million ($400,000).
Shin Bet officials have identified a steady increase in illegal weapons smuggled into Israel in recent years from both the Jordanian and Egyptian borders, warning that the influx has flooded the market with illicit firearms. “This surge has significantly driven down prices, making weapons more accessible not only to crime syndicates but also to those intent on harming the State of Israel,” the agency cautioned.
Police data indicates a consistent rise in the interception and seizure of smuggled weapons from Jordan and Egypt since 2020. While only a handful were seized that year, dozens were intercepted in 2021, with the figure doubling in 2022. By 2023, authorities had confiscated approximately 200 weapons originating from those two borders.