The man who is allegedly responsible for sending out thousands of SMS messages propositioning people with offers to purchase cannabis was arrested on Monday, and the device he used was confiscated, according to an Israel Police spokesperson.
Last month, three men suspected of being involved in the operation were arrested by the cyber unit at Lahav 433, together with large amounts of drugs.
Even though they didn't cooperate with the investigation, the police found the device on Monday and arrested the operation's leader.
"The cyber unit at Lahav 433 conducted an undercover investigation over the last few months in which the investigators impersonated people who were involved in sending out hundreds of thousands of SMS messages that offered the public to buy drugs."
Israel Police
"The cyber unit at Lahav 433 conducted an undercover investigation over the last few months in which the investigators impersonated people who were involved in sending out hundreds of thousands of SMS messages that offered the public to buy drugs," said the police statement.
Spam messages
Spam messages offering drugs are sent out to Israelis every day, and some people even got multiple messages a day. Some of the messages included dangerous links that gave the senders access to the receivers' contact lists.
Communications Ministry Director-General Liran Avisar Ben-Hurin has issued public warnings asking people to ignore the messages and not access the links.