IDF thwarts drugs smuggling operations on Lebanon, Egypt borders

Drugs worth millions of shekels intercepted; seizure is fifth in three weeks.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

IDF forces operating to secure Israel’s border were successful in thwarting attempts to smuggle drugs from Lebanon in the north and Egypt in the south into the country.

On Friday night, IDF forces identified a number of suspects as they were trying to smuggle drugs from Egypt into Israel, in the area of ​​the Paran Territorial Brigade.

The forces seized about 120 kilograms of cocaine and marijuana, worth tens of millions of shekels, which were transferred to the Israel Police.

Captain A., Company Commander from the Ram Battalion who commanded the force that thwarted the smuggling, “stated that the troops “arrived at the point and reacted resolutely, thus preventing the smuggling and seizing a very large amount of drugs. We will continue to work to protect the country’s borders around the clock.”

Unlike recent similar incidents, the clash with the smugglers did not include an exchange of fire.

This is the fifth such incident in the past three weeks.

Similarly, IDF forces identified a suspect in the area on the Israeli town of Metula on the border with Lebanon. The forces searched for the suspect, who escaped, and seized 41 packages of drugs and an ammunition package worth hundreds of thousands of shekels that he left at the spot.

The findings were handed over to the Israel Police for further investigation.

The Hezbollah terror organization has been previously exposed to be behind the smuggling of weapons and drugs into Israel.

The drugs are grown or produced in southern Lebanon and Syria, and are distributed to points in the Middle East and around the globe, one of the operations Hezbollah runs to fund its terror activities.