20-Year-Old Bedouin Accused of Smuggling 32 Weapons from Egypt Using Drones

Salam Amital, a 20-year-old from Masaudin al-Azazmeh, has been indicted by the Southern District Prosecutor's Office in Beersheba for serious weapons offenses related to an organized smuggling network operating over two years. Amital allegedly smuggled 32 long firearms from Egypt into Israel using drones and meeting points, selling them for tens of thousands of shekels each.

According to the indictment filed by Asaf Bar Yosef of the Southern District Prosecutor's Office, Amital was a central figure in the smuggling chain between 2025 and 2026. He maintained contact with operatives in Egypt, collected weapons smuggled from Sinai at various rendezvous points, concealed them in caves near Bir al-Daqaq, and sold them for significant sums. For example, he sold M-16 rifles for 33,000 to 35,000 shekels each. In one case, he purchased an FN assault rifle for 30,000 shekels and hid it in a cave for months.

The indictment also details an incident where Amital coordinated with a Sinai resident to smuggle three M-16 rifles via drone, but the drone was intercepted by the IDF and the weapons seized. Amital then reportedly destroyed his phone to obstruct the investigation. He also possessed two pistols, dozens of magazines, ammunition, and about 2.3 kilograms of hashish in the cave. Additionally, he helped assemble smuggled weapons including M-16s, Kalashnikovs, and machine guns for his brother and others.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the Israel Police's Southern District Unit and the Shin Bet. Amital faces multiple charges including weapons importation, trafficking, possession, obstruction of justice, drug offenses, and traffic violations. This case follows a series of recent police operations targeting weapons smuggling networks in the Negev, including a covert operation involving a Bedouin informant that led to dozens of arrests nationwide.