Israeli police arrested dozens of suspects, including senior officials, in a major corruption operation at Ashdod Port on Tuesday.
The arrests, part of a years-long covert investigation, followed allegations of bribery, tax evasion and large-scale smuggling.
The covert investigation was spearheaded by an undercover agent codenamed "Jack Sparrow," named after the fictional pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean. For 4.5 years, "Sparrow" operated within the port, marking the longest undercover operation in Israeli police history.
The agent, trained by the Israeli Tax Authority, worked as a customs officer at the country’s largest port, exposing a network of smuggling and bribery that involved Israeli and Palestinian importers, customs brokers and public officials.
(Matan Tzuri)