Hundreds of police officers, Border Police, and special units raided dozens of targets across Israel Monday morning, arresting dozens of suspects on charges of illegal arms and drug trafficking, according to police. The operation was the culmination of a months-long undercover investigation led by Lahav 433's agent department and the Eitgar unit, using a Bedouin agent nicknamed 'The Wanderer'.
Earlier Monday morning, Israeli police executed a large-scale raid across dozens of locations nationwide, arresting dozens of suspects on charges of illegal arms and drug trafficking, according to police. The operation was the culmination of a months-long undercover investigation led by the Lahav 433 national crime unit's agent department (Mahlak Sokhnim) and the Eitgar unit, using a Bedouin undercover agent nicknamed 'The Wanderer,' as The Zioneer reported at 08:29 Jerusalem.
The first reports of the operation emerged at 07:31 Jerusalem, when N12 journalist Yolian Cohen reported dozens of arrests in the southern district. Within minutes, police confirmed a large-scale operation targeting illegal weapons trafficking across dozens of locations. Subsequent reports from ynet, N12, i24NEWS, and Yediot expanded the picture, revealing that an undercover Bedouin agent had infiltrated criminal networks. By 07:31, the agent was identified as 'The Wanderer' and it was reported that 20 major crime targets were among the detained. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir praised the operation at 07:31, calling it a model of proactive, aggressive policing.
The raid is part of a broader police crackdown on organized crime, which has included aerial and ground operations in the Negev, as The Zioneer reported on June 11. Lahav 433, the elite national crime unit, has been at the forefront of such investigations, including the ongoing sports scandal probe.
The exact number of suspects arrested and the specific charges remain to be officially released, but police have confirmed that the operation concluded with dozens in custody. Further details on the full scope of the investigation are pending.
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