weapons smuggling

French national Romain Franck (R), then 24, a worker at the French consulate, and Palestinians Moufak al-Ajluni (L) and Mohamed Katout (C) appear in court in the Israeli city of Haifa on March 19, 2018, to face charges of smuggling guns from Gaza. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)

April 8, 2019, 4:30 pm

Israel jails French consulate worker for Gaza gun smuggling

Romain Franck sentenced to seven years with a NIS 30,000 fine for using diplomatic car to ferry weapons from Gaza to West Bank

By AFP

French consulate worker Romain Franck, an employee of France's Consulate in Jerusalem, covers his face during a hearing at the district court in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, March 19, 2018. (Sebastian Scheiner/AP)

March 28, 2019, 11:26 pm

Israel convicts French consulate worker of Gaza-West Bank gun-running

Prosecutors seek seven years for Romain Franck, 24, who used official car to smuggle dozens of weapons for financial gain

By TOI staff and AFP

Illustrative image of a Fars Air Qeshm cargo plane (Wikimedia Commons)

September 4, 2018, 1:31 am

Iran using civilian flights to smuggle arms to Hezbollah – report

Western intelligence officials tell Fox News they tracked two unscheduled flights from Tehran to Beirut this month, believed to be carrying parts for Iranian weapons factories

By TOI staff

July 2, 2018, 3:52 pm

Israel tries Frenchman accused of Gaza-West Bank gun-running

Romain Franck, 24, a driver for French consulate, allegedly used official car to smuggle dozens of weapons for financial gain

By AFP

April 29, 2018, 3:41 pm

Israel orders suspected French arms trafficker to be held through trial

Consulate employee accused of taking money to help smuggle weapons from Gaza to West Bank, utilizing reduced security for consular vehicles

By AFP and TOI staff

Illustrative: A Border Police officer stands guard at a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron. (Israel Police)

March 25, 2018, 8:22 pm

5 Druze Israelis arrested for smuggling weapons from West Bank

Suspects brought several caches of arms into Israeli territory after making deal with Palestinian citizen

By TOI staff

French national Romain Franck (R), 24, a worker at the French consulate, and Palestinian Moufak al-Ajluni (L) and Mohamed Katout (C) appear in court the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on March 19, 2018, to face charges of smuggling guns from Gaza. (AFP PHOTO / JACK GUEZ)

March 19, 2018, 10:17 pm

France to launch probe after consulate driver charged with Gaza gun-running

Foreign Minister Le Drian, who will visit Israel next week, announces investigation into actions of Romain Franck, accused of bringing weapons from Gaza to West Bank

By TOI staff

March 19, 2018, 4:05 pm

French consular employee charged in Gaza gun-running scheme

Prosecutors say Romain Franck knew he could take advantage of lax checks on his diplomatic vehicle to spirit dozens of pistols and two rifles from the Strip to the West Bank

By TOI staff and Agencies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, his wife, Sara (c), and their son Yair during a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (not pictured), at Netanyahu's official residence in Jerusalem on December 8, 2013. (Haim Zach/GPO/Flash90)

March 19, 2018, 2:06 pm

Netanyahu suspected of obstructing Bezeq probe, report says

PM said to have instructed his media adviser to delete incriminating text messages; his son Yair also reportedly a suspect

By TOI staff

A vehicle said to be driven by French consulate in Jerusalem employee Roman Frank at the Erez border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. (Shin Bet)

March 19, 2018, 10:37 am

Israel: Arms smuggling by French Jerusalem consulate worker won’t affect ties

Shin Bet says Romain Franck ‘cynically exploited’ his diplomatic privileges to transport over 70 weapons from Gaza into West Bank

By Alexander Fulbright

French consulate in Jerusalem. (CC BY-SA Neta, Wikimedia Commons)

March 18, 2018, 9:57 pm

French consulate employee said arrested by Israel for smuggling weapons

Authorities suspect French national, who acted as driver, engaged in regular trips between Jerusalem and Gaza

By AFP

Weapons captured by police in an undercover operation in East Jerusalem (Israel Police)

March 12, 2018, 6:23 pm

Police nab dozens of weapons, 22 suspects in East Jerusalem

Captured arms include bombs, assault rifles, handguns and ammunition; some of those arrested said to be known terror operatives

By TOI staff

View of neighborhoods in Ma'ale Adumim, near Jerusalem, October 3, 2017. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

January 15, 2018, 6:17 pm

Palestinians arrested outside West Bank settlement with gun, ammo

In separate case, soldiers nab suspect with a homemade firearm believed to have shot at a highway near the Alfei Menashe settlement

By Judah Ari Gross and TOI staff

Screen capture from video showing a technician testing for banned substances in a laboratory at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with the Gaza Strip. (Defense Ministry)

November 22, 2017, 12:48 pm

New lab at border detects truckload of ‘dangerous material’ headed to Gaza

Border Crossing Authority unveils facility used to sample goods and detect banned substances en route to Hamas-run enclave

By Stuart Winer

A laser sight, ordered over the internet, seized by border crossing officials as it was being smuggled into the Gaza Strip, October 2017. (Defense Ministry)

November 14, 2017, 1:33 pm

Gaza terrorists buying gear online, Defense Ministry says

Border Authority officials intercept hundreds of contraband items en route to the Palestinian enclave

By Stuart Winer and TOI staff