The IDF charged two Sergeant First Class-ranked suspects with smuggling cigarettes, stealing ammunition, and committing tax offenses, including money laundering, in connection with Gaza.
The IDF’s military prosecution filed two additional indictments against two suspects ranked Sergeant First Class for offenses linked with smuggling goods into Gaza, tax offenses, and other offenses, the military said on Tuesday.
The indictments followed joint investigations by Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), Israel Police, the Military Police’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Israel Tax Authority.
The first defendant was involved in an extensive network of smuggling cigarettes and other goods into the Gaza Strip, along with their father and colleagues in their military unit, from February 2024 until January 2026, the indictment says.
Additionally, they took hundreds of rounds of ammunition and magazines from military stockpiles and sold them to civilians for thousands of shekels.
They are also charged with drug offenses and obstructing legal practices, the military noted.
An illustrative image of cigarettes over NIS 100 bills. (credit: Mykhailo Baidala/Shutterstock.com)
Other offenses the first defendant was charged with include: assisting the enemy, bribery, smuggling goods under aggravated circumstances in association with others, tax offenses, money laundering, and additional offenses, the military said.
The second defendant was contacted by the first at the end of 2024, requesting that they carry out smuggling cigarettes into the Gaza Strip, the indictment says.
Smuggling cigarettes for hundreds of thousands of shekels
The two smuggled approximately 50 cartons of cigarettes over a period of several months, which generated approximately NIS 750,000.
The second defendant was charged with several serious charges, including assisting the enemy, bribery, smuggling goods under aggravated circumstances in association with others, tax offenses, money laundering, and additional offenses, the military said.
The identities and other personal details of the defendants, including identifying factors and the unit in which they serve, are under a media embargo, the military said.