Click to see full-size image. Source: the Israeli Defense Forces.
On June 9, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) thwarted a drug smuggling attempt from Egypt, less than a week after a deadly attack on the border.
The IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit said the following day that two suspects were detained by troops and police officers while attempting to smuggle a shipment of drugs into Israel. The suspects were taken into custody for questioning and the drugs were confiscated.
The drugs had a total street value of approximately NIS 5 million [$1,390,000 USD], including a bag that contained 21 kg of marijuana with a street value of NIS 2.35 million [$654,000 USD], and 26 kg of a drug believed to be hashish, worth a further NIS 2.35 million.
Click to see original-size image. Source: the Israeli Defense Forces.
The smuggling attempt took place just six days after an Egyptian policeman infiltrated the border and killed three Israeli soldiers.
Two soldiers, a male and a female, were shot dead at their border post, and the third during an exchange of fire with the attacker in the area of the IDF’s Paran Regional Brigade. The attacker was also killed in the clash.
The Egyptian military said that the policeman was pursuing drug smugglers. However, Arab media reports speculated that he carried out the attack on his own for ideological reasons.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. The treaty returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and ended decades of war as a result.
The border between the two countries experienced a number of security incidents in the last few years, mostly attacks from the Sinai Peninsula against the IDF. Attempts to smuggle drugs and weapons from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula over Israel are also reported on a regular basis.
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