Suspicion: Oleh smuggled 82 commando knives into Israel

Tax Authority surprised to find undeclared items in new immigrant's container, including illegal commando knives, liquor bottles, antique pianos. Suspect says items shipped by mistake

Ahiya Raved|Published: 08.20.13 , 15:18

No less than 82 commando knives of different types were found this week in a container sent to Israel by a 55-year-old man who recently made aliyah from the United States. In his interrogation, he claimed he did not know of the knives and that the delivery company made a mistake when placing them in the container.

The man is currently residing in the northern city of Ma'alot-Tarshiha. This week, his container arrived in Haifa, with his belongings from his home in the US.

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The Tax Authority informed that the container was marked by an automated profiling system as suspicious, and was transferred for inspection with the drugs and customs unit of the Haifa Tax Authority.

Knives found in oleh's container (Photo: Courtesy of Tax Authority)

The investigators found a line of products in the container that were not declared, including types of knives that are forbidden in Israel. In addition, the container held more items that were not declared, such as two antique pianos, 33 bottles of liquor, many bulbs and safes.

The owner of the container was called in for questioning at the Haifa Tax Authority, where he claimed he did not know of the smuggled merchandise. He said that he ordered other products from a delivery company and claimed that apparently they sent him the wrong shipment.

Israeli Tax Authority stated that the illegal knives were confiscated, and the rest of the merchandise was turned over to the authority.