Additional Suspects Arrested in Ashdod Port Cigarette Smuggling Case

In depth

Police and the Tax Authority arrested additional suspects in the case of an attempt to smuggle eight containers of cigarettes through the Port of Ashdod. The cigarettes are valued at about 200 million shekels. The containers were declared as imports of wheat flour from Egypt. Two suspects were arrested last week, and the investigation continues.

Investigators from the Israel Police's Coastal Districts Major Crime Unit and Ashdod Customs arrested the additional suspects on suspicion of involvement in the attempted smuggling. The import documents declared the cargo as wheat flour, but it consisted of thousands of cartons of cigarettes. According to police assessments, further arrests are expected.

Customs is concerned that some of the cigarettes were intended for smuggling into the Gaza Strip. The joint investigation by police and Customs continues.