The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) released a Jordanian MP to Jordanian law enforcement on Sunday to bring him to trial for illegal weapons smuggling at the Allenby Bridge on April 23.
The agency said MP Imad Adwan attempted to smuggle 12 rifles and 194 guns in his car.
The Jordanian legislature voted to remove Adwan’s immunity on Sunday, Jordanian media reported.
According to the Shin Bet, Adwan exploited his diplomatic status and had been smuggling since February 2022 on 12 different occasions.
While some of the smuggling involved other illegal items, much of the smuggling runs in 2023 involved weapons.
Adwan received significant compensation for the smuggling, the Shin Bet said.
The Shin Bet said they arrested other accomplices in the West Bank and that Jordanian authorities arrested a number of accomplices in Jordan.
Intelligence tip-off exposed Adwan
On April 23, customs officers, who are not supposed to inspect members of parliament, had received intelligence information regarding Adwan, and carried out an inspection as a result.
Initial reports said they uncovered evidence of an attempt to smuggle 100 kg. of gold, 12 long weapons, 12 ZIG pistols and 167 Glock pistols into Israel.
Some Jordanian officials slammed Israel for the arrest and Israeli officials deliberated for some time whether to transfer Adwan back to Amman, but the sides eventually worked together on the cross-border case.
There was intense domestic pressure in Jordan for his return and it appears Israeli officials calculated that if Jordan was serious enough to arrest his co-conspirators, that they would also make him face consequences, even if those consequences might not be equal to what he might have faced in Israel.
Jordanian-Israeli relations have also been on edge since fights occurred between Israel's police and various Palestinian troublemakers on the Temple Mount last month, from other recent incidents and from a general history of distrust between Jordan's King Abdullah and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Returning Awad could be seen as a trust-building measure by the Israeli side.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the Jordanian legislator's release is "unacceptable," and one of the reasons his party boycotted Sunday's cabinet meeting.