The Israel Tax Authority announced in a joint statement on Tuesday that police have arrested dozens of importers, customs brokers, and agents linked to the Ashdod Port following an investigation into a large-scale smuggling operation.
The arrests followed a four-and-a-half-year undercover operation involving an agent known as "Jack Sparrow," who infiltrated the smuggling network by posing as a customs agent at the port.
The agent, who began his covert work in 2020, was tasked with uncovering illegal smuggling activities at the port. Over time, he built relationships with importers from across Israel and the West Bank, as well as customs officials, some of whom had ties to criminal organizations.
Once the agent had gained the suspects' trust, they began to involve him in their smuggling operations, asking for his help in moving goods through the port. His role was to inspect containers and falsely declare their contents and value, allowing contraband to pass undetected.
In exchange, he was paid hundreds of thousands of shekels. It is also suspected that other officials were bribed as part of the operation.
Over the years, the agent inspected hundreds of containers, receiving bribes to overlook illegal goods hidden inside. These goods were concealed in creative ways, including tobacco products hidden inside mannequins and counterfeit luxury clothing and footwear disguised among cheap garments.
The agent also assisted the Israel Tax Authority in seizing several shipments of illegal goods. In one case, weapons and ammunition were hidden inside rolled carpets, while small firearm components were concealed in a container of screws intended for distribution across Israel and the West Bank.
Police seize goods and assets
During raids on the suspects' homes in Israel and the West Bank, police seized over one million shekels in cash, foreign currency, checks, eight luxury vehicles, documents, laptops, and other assets believed to be linked to financial crimes.
The suspects are currently being interrogated by police and face charges of smuggling, bribery, money laundering, and tax offenses, among other crimes.
The Ashdod Port claimed that no port workers were among the suspects.