Israel’s Shin Bet security agency and police yesterday revealed the arrest of a 65-year-old Israeli citizen from Netivot who is suspected of conducting espionage and surveillance operations for Iranian intelligence in return for tens of thousands of dollars.
According to Army Radio, this case is the 17th in a series of espionage incidents linked to Iran that Israeli security agencies have uncovered in recent months. The case involved monitoring sensitive sites, including Haifa Port, oil refineries in the city, and even the Dimona nuclear reactor.
A joint statement issued by Shin Bet and the police said: “In February, a suspect was arrested on suspicion of committing security offences related to contact with elements from a hostile state and carrying out missions under their direction in return for large sums of money.”
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The statement added that the suspect had been in contact since October with a person who presented himself as an Azerbaijani citizen residing in Dubai. He carried out numerous tasks for him, including photographing infrastructure and security sites in Israel, such as military bases, Haifa Port, oil refineries in Haifa and the Israeli Nuclear Research Centre in Dimona.
The investigation also revealed that the suspect rented an apartment in Haifa overlooking the port, following instructions from his Azerbaijani handler, intending to use it for operational purposes.
According to the statement, the suspect continued to carry out the missions assigned to him “despite suspecting early on that he was being managed by elements affiliated with a hostile state.” He allegedly received payments through encrypted transfers and used methods to maintain communication secrecy.
The statement concluded: “Based on the investigation’s findings and in comparison with similar recent cases, it can be said that the suspect was being handled by Iranian intelligence elements.”
The Israeli prosecution is expected to file an indictment against the suspect on today.
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