A Border Police officer was indicted on Monday for forging entry permits to Israel and selling them to Palestinians, the Police Internal Investigations Department announced on Monday.
The officer, along with several civilian accomplices, was arrested last week and has been charged with bribery, forgery, impersonation, receiving benefits by fraud under aggravated circumstances, as well as aiding illegal entry and stay in Israel.
According to the indictment filed by internal investigations, the officer abused his position to allow Palestinians to illegally enter Israel in exchange for personal favors.
According to Walla, the suspects were arrested following an undercover investigation based on a report from the Border Police.
Among other things, the officer used the identities and signatures of his fellow officers to forge documents, and used a police vehicle to smuggle an additional defendant into Israel in exchange for money.
The officer and his accomplices will be brought before the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court for an extension of their detention.
How the smuggling case was developed
The investigation was a joint effort between the PIID Jerusalem team and Israel Police.
Soldiers raided a border crossing at the beginning of the week, where several suspects were arrested, including mandatory service soldiers and civilians, Walla reported.
According to Walla, during the operation, hundreds of items were seized, including cigarettes and drugs, with an initial assessment indicating that the value of the smuggled goods exceeded hundreds of thousands of Shekels.
Walla contributed to this report.