Police, IDF thwart weapons-smuggling op at Dead Sea

These weapons are sent to the Palestinian Authority, where they can be used for terrorism.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

The Israel Police and IDF were successful in thwarting yet another attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel, this time from Jordan, in the Dead Sea area.

IDF units identified unusual movements on Tuesday night on the border, and special police units operated together with IDF forces to intercept the smuggling attempt.

Their search led to the discovery of two sacks containing three M-16 assault rifles and three handguns.

Ronen Kalphon, commander of a special police unit designated to thwart smuggling on Israel’s borders, stated Wednesday that his unit has recently detected “many attempts to smuggle high-quality weapons that are intended for criminal and terrorism needs.”

“The Israel Police and the IDF are investing a lot of effort in an inter-organizational effort to prevent this weapon from entering the country,” he said.

Similar incidents have occurred in the Jordan Valley and on the northern border with Lebanon in recent months, during which IDF troops and police arrested suspects in smuggling attempts and seized weapons of various types and calibers.

Israeli forces have thwarted over 10 attempts to smuggle weapons into Israel from Jordan since the beginning of the year, and have seized over 170 weapons.

The IDF has said that it has recently detected an increase in the number of smuggling attempts. In the first three months of 2022, Israeli forces thwarted six weapons smuggling attempts from Jordan and seized 169 weapons, compared to 51 in the corresponding time period last year, a 190% increase.

Israel’s border with Jordan, its longest, is usually peaceful. Fenced in most areas, it serves as a smuggling route for drugs and weapons from Jordan into Israel.

These weapons are sent to the Palestinian Authority, where they can be used for terrorism.