A sophisticated attempt to smuggle illegal weapons from Egypt to Israel using drones was uncovered and thwarted by security forces. The State Prosecutor’s Office filed a severe indictment today (Tuesday) against two defendants for using drones to import weapons. According to the indictment, the two planned and executed several smuggling operations of firearms using advanced drones capable of carrying loads of up to 50 kg.
The defendants purchased a drone worth 70,000 shekels and began importing pistols and magazines on three different occasions. In one instance, the defendants reached an area near the Egyptian border equipped with an off-road buggy. They flew a drone to the Egyptian side, where weapons were attached to it, and returned it to Israeli territory. The weapons were placed at a pick-up point and collected by another vehicle.
In October this year, during another smuggling attempt, IDF forces identified the drone on its way to Israeli territory and thwarted the operation. As a result, the defendants were arrested, and they now face serious charges.
In a request for detention until the end of the proceedings, the prosecutor’s office noted the alarming rise in the import of illegal weapons through the borders of Egypt and Jordan. “Flooding the market with illegal weapons brings an increased risk to the state’s security and high availability of arms for criminal and terrorist organizations,” it was noted.
