An Israeli lawyer was arrested on Tuesday at Ben-Gurion Airport on suspicion of smuggling drugs into Israel, according to a police statement issued Wednesday.
The drugs came in a cargo shipment, rather than in luggage on a passenger aircraft, and were processed through customs at Ben-Gurion Airport. The package came from England and was sent to Israel via Turkey.
During an inspection, airport investigators discovered that the shipment contained GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy, disguised in bottles labeled as false eyelash removal solution.
Israel Police then followed the package to its intended recipient, the lawyer, a Tel Aviv resident. He was arrested as the package was delivered. Police seized a range of additional substances from the lawyer's home that are suspected to be drugs, including more GHB, heroin, ecstasy, and other substances. They also seized an undisclosed amount of foreign currency. On Wednesday, the courts granted police an extension of the suspect's detention until August 16.
Police arrest three, seize drugs, hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash
Separately, Tel Aviv law enforcement officers carried out several large-scale operations across the city on Tuesday night, seizing hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash and a variety of drugs while issuing dozens of traffic tickets, police said.
In one raid, carried out under a warrant based on suspicions of drug trafficking and unlawful drug possession, police seized cannabis, cocaine, MDMA, and other illicit substances, along with equipment used to measure and package drugs for distribution. Officers also seized NIS 33,450 in cash suspected of being proceeds from drug trafficking. The suspect was arrested and taken for further questioning.
In another operation, police seized more than $228,000 and NIS 31,000 in cash, also believed to be proceeds from drug-related activity, before arresting the individual suspected of committing the offenses.
Throughout the night, officers also targeted what police described as "life-threatening traffic offenses," with a particular focus on scooter and electric bike riders.
As part of the operation, 25 traffic tickets were issued for "life-threatening traffic offenses," and 20 vehicles were confiscated.
In addition, police arrested a man riding his scooter on the sidewalk after stopping him and discovering that he was a Palestinian resident of the West Bank residing illegally in sovereign Israel.