Security forces arrest 10 on suspicion of smuggling weapons from Jordan into Israel

Police and Shin Bet agents arrested 10 people suspected of smuggling arms from Jordan into Israel, spokespeople for the agencies say in a joint statement.

The suspects — nine Israeli citizens and one West Bank Palestinian — were arrested over the course of the past two months. Security forces confiscated 34 pistols and four long-barreled guns during the investigation.

The State Attorney’s Office indicted the suspects on a plethora of charges including arms smuggling, carrying and transporting weapons, arms possession, damage to IDF property, aiding illegal exit from the country and drug offenses.

According to the statement, the suspects organized two sophisticated arms smuggling operations across the border between Israel and Jordan during the latter half of 2024.

At the helm of the operation was 28-year-old Fawaz al-Toukhi, a resident of the Negev Bedouin town Bir Hadaj, who allegedly recruited others to the ring and paid them tens of thousands of shekels for their involvement.

Officials stress the security risk posed by arms smuggling, noting that two pistols smuggled into Israel were used in terror attacks in which two police officers were killed last October.