JERUSALEM: A French consulate worker has been arrested on accusations of the usage of an official automobile to smuggle dozens of weapons from the Gaza Strip to the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities said these days.
The French citizen used to be accused of being part of a gun-running network with Palestinian suspects that eventually sold the weapons on to fingers sellers, Israel's Shin Bet home security agency said in a remark.
It said Romain Franck, in his mid-20s, had taken good thing about reduced security checks for consular cars to move the weapons out of the Palestinian enclave.
The Shin Bet said he acted on his own and used to be motivated by cash. His superiors were not aware of his actions, the remark said.
"The consulate employee smuggled the arms on a number of occasions in recent months while using the French consulate's consular car, which underwent a more lax security inspection at the border crossing, as is the case with this type of car," the remark said.
"The consulate employee transferred arms on five occasions, during which he transferred some 70 pistols and two automatic rifles."
A complete of 9 suspects were arrested and six have been to be charged in court later Monday, together with Franck.
Gaza, run by Islamist staff Hamas, has been beneath an Israeli blockade for over a decade but weapons were smuggled in thru tunnels from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
The French citizen used to be accused of being part of a gun-running network with Palestinian suspects that eventually sold the weapons on to fingers sellers, Israel's Shin Bet home security agency said in a remark.
It said Romain Franck, in his mid-20s, had taken good thing about reduced security checks for consular cars to move the weapons out of the Palestinian enclave.
The Shin Bet said he acted on his own and used to be motivated by cash. His superiors were not aware of his actions, the remark said.
"The consulate employee smuggled the arms on a number of occasions in recent months while using the French consulate's consular car, which underwent a more lax security inspection at the border crossing, as is the case with this type of car," the remark said.
"The consulate employee transferred arms on five occasions, during which he transferred some 70 pistols and two automatic rifles."
A complete of 9 suspects were arrested and six have been to be charged in court later Monday, together with Franck.
Gaza, run by Islamist staff Hamas, has been beneath an Israeli blockade for over a decade but weapons were smuggled in thru tunnels from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
French consulate worker accused of smuggling guns from Gaza: Israel
![French consulate worker accused of smuggling guns from Gaza: Israel]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
March 19, 2018
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