Israel Police, together with foreign law enforcement agencies, managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle dozens of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Israel, police said Friday.
The smuggling attempt, worth tens of millions of shekels, was busted after a weeks-long undercover investigation conducted around the globe.
The cocaine shipment was caught right before it left Colombia by local law enforcement who arrested a number of suspects in the case.
Last in a series of large drug smuggling attempts
In recent months, Israel Police have thwarted a number of large drug smuggling attempts.
In August, police and the Tax Authority nabbed a shipment of over half a ton of a new MDMB-type drug, worth over NIS 90 million, hidden among a furniture shipment.
The containers were caught after an international undercover investigation. A resident of Herzliya suspected of involvement in the attempted smuggling has been indicted.
Additionally in August, three young men in their 20s from Petah Tikva were indicted on suspicion of importing cocaine from Peru inside a carpet.
In June, police thwarted a cocaine smuggling ring based in South America and operating in central Israel, with several suspects arrested in Tira.
Additionally in June, an Israeli, a Spaniard, and a Moroccan were charged with attempting to import 700 kg. of cocaine from Colombia to Israel.