An Israel Defense Force officer has been arrested on suspicion of taking bribes from dozens of Arabs to help them cross into Jordan without going through routine security and customs checks.
The lieutenant, who served in the Civil Administration as the deputy commander of the Allenby Bridge, was arrested last month. But the information was released by military censors only on Thursday.
Police fear that suspects for crimes and security violations may have escaped to Jordan with the officer’s help and are investigating the matter.
Also on Thursday, security forces announced that they have uncovered a network of Israeli Arabs and Gaza Strip residents who helped supply Palestinian gunmen in the administered territories with weapons.
Meanwhile, the search for wanted gunmen continued in the territories, as they remained closed for the third week.
On Thursday, Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip captured two heavily armed gunmen reputed to be leaders of the Fatah Hawks gang, affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization’s mainstream faction.
The men were wanted by security forces in connection with the murders of Palestinians and for attacks on Israeli soldiers.
The capture brought to 30 the number of wanted men caught during the present closure of the Gaza Strip, according to military sources.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
