The IDF and officers from Israel Police's Jordan Border Unit thwarted an attempt to smuggle weapons across the Jordanian border last night, police announced in a Tuesday statement.
Two Jericho residents in their 20s were arrested near Gesher Adam (Damiyah Bridge), located north of the Dead Sea.
During their search of the area, police discovered 10 handguns buried in a bag near the bridge.
Police transferred the suspects to the Judea and Samaria District's police headquarters for further questioning.
The incident follows an infiltration alert in the Jordan Valley region on Monday night. In response to the suspected infiltration, the IDF set up blockades in the area to locate any suspects.
Israel's border with Jordan vulnerable to terror infiltration, weapons smuggling
In July, N12 News reported that despite the ongoing construction of a new border security fence between Israel and Jordan, local residents are fearful that a Jordanian attack could face little in the way of defenses.
Central Arava Regional Council Head Meir Tzur pointed out the vulnerability presented by the current wire-fence setup.
"There's nothing behind it," he explained to N12. "There's no problem crossing this twisted fence either. Here, for example, it's completely open. There are no indicative measures on the fence. Any citizen can cross; they don't even have to jump because it's torn down."
The border was also seldom patrolled by IDF forces, Tzus stated. "You can just walk into Jordan."
"We really want the Israeli army to be stationed on the border line, and not just with remote technology," he added. "We are afraid of this technology. Every Israeli knows that what starts with a small breach may eventually lead to a failure. A fence alone or technology is not the absolute solution."
From across the border, a steady stream of illegal entrants and smuggled goods has flowed into Israel over the years, local residents stated, including illegal weapons.
One military source told N12 that the IDF catches around 50% of the smuggled weapons and goods. "If they succeed in smuggling weapons, they can also succeed in smuggling a terrorist."
Tzvi Jasper contributed to this report.