Customs stops 320 kilograms of hashish in massive seizure on Egyptian border crossing

Smugglers stashed hashish inside of crates of charcoal, wrapped bricks in charcoal paper in effort to throw off customs inspectors.

By BEN HARTMAN
Drugs smuggled from Egypt (photo credit: Courtesy)
Drugs smuggled from Egypt
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Customs officials stopped one of the largest drug-trafficking attempts in recent years last week, seizing some 320 kg. of hashish stashed inside a trailer truck entering Israel by way of the Nitzana crossing, police released for publication on Monday.
The smugglers hid the hashish inside of crates full of charcoal, and wrapped the bricks in charcoal paper in an effort to throw off the customs inspectors.
Nonetheless, it was picked up by inspectors manning the X-ray machine at the crossing, who then began pulling out dozens of bricks of the contraband.
After police pulled the truck aside, they traced the delivery to a destination in Beit Jala, where West Bank police arrested one suspect, and eventually a total of 10 suspects were arrested, including ones from Ras el- Amud, Daburiya and Beersheba.
Four of the suspects were brought for a remand extension on Monday, at which point police lifted the gag order on the case.
Police estimated the street value of the narcotic at as much as NIS 25 million.
However, with the street price in Tel Aviv for a 10 gr. “finger” hovering around NIS 400, the police estimation appears to be exaggerated.
Also on Monday, Eilat police announced a separate raid in which they seized what they referred to as a “large amount of hashish” that was smuggled across the Egyptian border into Israel.
In other smuggling news, police and postal officials seized 1.285 kg. of Indian “Jaras” hashish sent in a darbuka drum to a man in Ramat Gan, and the National Crime Unit, Lahav 433 announced the arrest of two Rishon Lezion men in possession of 1,800 fake erectile-dysfunction pills.