Israeli police and the Shin Bet arrested Zaher Abu Rakeek and Imad Hawashleh, residents of the Bedouin community in the Negev, on suspicion of smuggling weapons across the Sinai border.
Investigations revealed the pair’s involvement in the attempted smuggling of eight pistols and magazines in October, thwarted by the IDF's Paran Brigade. A drone was reportedly used to transport the weapons.
Authorities also discovered their role in additional arms smuggling operations and confiscated a MAG machine gun and M-16 rifles during the investigation.