Israel’s Shin Bet security agency revealed on Thursday that four Arab-Israelis were arrested for smuggling arms from elements connected to the Hezbollah terrorist organization.
The Israeli citizens arrested were from Kfar Qasem and Lod, two central cities in Israel. The four men were found with explosive devices made in Iran, which were seized by the authorities, with intentions to also use them for criminal activities.
“This affair once again illustrates the efforts of terrorist elements from Hezbollah and Iran to exploit the Arab citizens of Israel for security activities against the state. The investigation also revealed that there’s a thin line between security and criminal activities,” a senior official was quoted as saying in the Shin Bet statement.
The joint operation was conducted by the Shin Bet, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Police. The investigation led to the discovery of high-quality ammunition and explosives in the suspects' possession, particularly two Iranian-made devices.
Suspects were first caught in Kfar Qasem, and a later raid in Lod led to the arrest of the Arab-Israeli men who intended to use the explosive devices for criminal purposes.
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