Security forces scored a major win against border smuggling Sunday night, busting a massive operation at the Allenby Bridge crossing from Jordan. Police from the Judea and Samaria District, Border Police fighters, and IDF troops arrested 20 members of a smuggling ring on the spot—including Israeli citizens from East Jerusalem alongside Arabs from Judea and Samaria.
The forces raided a skilled smuggling cell in the village of Uja in the Jordan Valley and seized a huge haul of contraband that investigators say serves as an economic lifeline and a platform for serious illegal activity. Officers confiscated around 55,000 boxes of cigarettes and tobacco products—more than 5,000 cartons—with an estimated value of about ₪1.3 million (~$450,000).
The investigation at the Bik’at HaYarden station reveals this wasn’t a one-time incident, but rather a skilled network that operated multiple times in the past to smuggle various goods from Jordan. The main destination for the smuggled cargo was businesses in the Jericho area. All suspects were taken in for intensive interrogation, and extensive economic enforcement proceedings were opened in coordination with the Federation and professional authorities.
Israeli police are emphasizing the extreme severity security forces see in this phenomenon, especially given the involvement of blue ID card holders assisting the illegal activity. Police said Judea and Samaria District officers will continue to act with all tools and resources at their disposal against illegal smuggling, since these operations violate the law and can even serve as a platform for security offenses. Security forces will continue working together to ensure the detection, arrest, and full prosecution of everyone involved.