Israeli police and IDF troops have thwarted a large-scale attempt to smuggle 137 firearms into Israel from Jordan, marking the largest weapons bust ever on the Jordanian border.

The successful operation was the culmination of months of surveillance by the police’s Magen anti-smuggling unit, which had been tracking a gun smuggling ring responsible for numerous attempts to transport weapons into Israel from Jordan.

The breakthrough occurred last Thursday when members of the Magen unit, positioned near the southern town of Tzofar, detected an effort by the ring to move weapons across the border. Troops were dispatched to intercept a vehicle seen approaching the border from the Israeli side. Following a chase, four suspects were apprehended, including the purported leader of the smuggling ring.

Police identified the arrested individuals as residents of Bedouin communities in the Yeruham area, aged between their 20s and 30s.

In a statement, police disclosed the recovery of 137 weapons near the border area. This cache included 120 handguns and 17 M-16 assault rifles, alongside dozens of weapon parts and approximately 250 magazines. The estimated value of the seized items is around NIS 6 million ($1.6 million).

Israel faces ongoing challenges in combating weapons smuggling, particularly along its extensive, often difficult-to-monitor eastern border with Jordan and in the West Bank. Authorities believe that the majority of these smuggled arms are used in criminal activities.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)