The brother of Israel’s security chief was arrested along with 14 others in a major police bust of an alleged smuggling ring accused of shipping crates of illegal goods into the Gaza Strip.
Bezalel Zini, a brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, was arrested as part of what Israeli authorities say was a “systematic and sophisticated” operation to smuggle illegal cigarettes into Gaza for profit.
According to an indictment, Bezalel Zini allegedly smuggled 14 crates of cigarettes into Gaza, for which he received about 365,000 shekels (approximately $117,000). Others arrested as part of the bust allegedly smuggled cellphones, car parts and other goods, prosecutors said in the indictment.
The indictment says the smuggling ring included some Israeli reserve soldiers, as well as Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. The alleged smuggling chain started with suppliers in the West Bank, passed through Israeli warehouses and ultimately reached Gaza through Israeli military convoys, sometimes during operational activity.
At other times, prosecutors said, the smuggling was done under the guise that it was for an operational need. The ring allegedly exploited a large-scale humanitarian effort used to ship aid and commercial goods into the shattered enclave.
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