Haifa man detained on suspicion of gathering intel for Iran

According to the probe, Cohen contacted an Iranian operative through a job search website intended for new immigrants from Russia.

By JNS

An Israeli from Haifa was arrested last month on charges of spying for the Islamic Republic, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said on Monday.

Dimitri Cohen, 28, who immigrated to Israel a few years ago, transferred “sensitive information” to his Iranian handlers for cash, investigators said.

For every completed mission he received $500 in bitcoin, Ynet reported. The suspect allegedly gathered information on military bases, strategic sites and homes linked to senior Israeli public officials, the report added.

According to the probe, Cohen contacted an Iranian operative through a job search website intended for new immigrants from Russia.

He allegedly carried out a number of tasks for the Iranians from mid-April until he was detained on May 27.

Cohen’s girlfriend and friend, who were also arrested and released after 14 days, claimed that they warned him against carrying out his operators’ instructions, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan News.

After his arrest, Cohen denied having worked for Iran, but he later admitted to suspecting his handlers were Iranian operatives, Kan reported.

Chief Superintendent Yoni Hajaj, head of the Central Unit in the Israel Police’s Coastal District, was cited by Ynet as warning that this is a widespread phenomenon.

“Unfortunately, it has become a trend. There are several dozen individuals operating on behalf of Iran. [Before the war with Iran broke out], taking a photo of a military base may have seemed harmless, but now—as missiles are falling [on Israeli cities]—we understand the devastating consequences of Iranian-directed targeting of sensitive sites in Israel,” Hajaj said.

Cohen was brought before the Haifa Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning, where the police requested to extend his detention and submitted a prosecutor’s statement from the Haifa District Attorney’s Office.

The suspect is expected to face serious charges in the coming days, according to Ynet.

On June 15, Israeli security forces arrested two Jewish citizens on suspicion of carrying out missions for Iranian intelligence, the Israel Police and Shin Bet said.

The arrests were conducted in a joint operation with the Border Police’s Yaman National Counter-Terrorism Unit and the International Crime Investigations department of the National Major Crime Unit (Lahav 433).

Authorities say the suspects committed serious security offenses under direct guidance from Iranian intelligence operatives.

According to the Shin Bet, this is the latest of 22 Iranian espionage plots thwarted since Oct. 7, 2023, highlighting efforts by Tehran to recruit Israeli civilians for missions aimed at undermining national security.