14 Arrested in Alleged Smuggling Ring Supplying Bomb-Making Materials

Police have arrested 14 suspects in connection with the alleged smuggling of dual-use materials that investigators believe were used by terrorist organizations in the Palestinian Authority to manufacture explosive devices, authorities announced today (Monday).

The arrests followed a covert investigation led by Border Police forces in Judea and Samaria, detectives from the Border Police Central Unit in the North, IDF troops, the Shin Bet, and the Tax Authority's Yahalom unit.

According to investigators, an Israeli citizen allegedly worked with several Palestinians to smuggle dual-use materials worth millions of shekels into Judea and Samaria while failing to fully report the income to tax authorities. Police believe the materials ultimately reached terrorist organizations and were used to produce explosive devices.

In the first phase of the investigation, eight suspects were arrested. Overnight, after the case entered its overt phase, six additional suspects were taken into custody—one by detectives from the Border Police Central Unit in the North and five others by Border Police forces operating in the Jericho, Ramallah, and Jenin sectors—bringing the total number of arrests to 14.

During the operation, security forces seized approximately 175 kilograms of materials suspected of being used in the production of explosive devices.

Police said the investigation is continuing and that additional arrests may follow as it progresses.