Police Seize Nearly Half a Ton of Cannabis in Central Israel Bust

Israeli police confiscated approximately 455 kilograms of suspected cannabis, along with 13 grams of suspected cocaine, cash, and mobile phones, during a search of an agricultural farm in the moshav of Rinatia, central Israel, on Thursday. The search was conducted under a court order.

Authorities believe the large quantity of drugs, some of which were pre-packaged, was intended for trafficking. Alongside the narcotics, police seized about 21,000 shekels in cash, four mobile phones, and a commercial vehicle.

A resident of Givat Shmuel, in his 30s, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of involvement in drug trafficking and was taken for questioning at the Lev Tel Aviv police station. He is expected to appear in the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, where police will request an extension of his remand. The investigation is ongoing.

In a separate incident in July in Petah Tikva, police raided an apartment suspected of being used for packaging and distributing drugs. During that search, about 12 kilograms of cannabis were seized, some of which were packaged to resemble candy and other products, along with equipment believed to be used for preparing drugs for distribution.