Israeli Police Arrest 12 Undocumented Residents in Rahat Using Drone Support

During a planned operation in Rahat over the weekend, Southern Border Police National Guard fighters arrested 12 people in Israel illegally at several locations across the city. The arrests took place in three separate incidents, all after suspects tried to flee when police units arrived.

On Thursday morning, officers on patrol spotted several suspects running away after noticing the forces. Police detained three undocumented residents, aged 17, 26 and 31. Later that night, at a construction site in the city, police found six more undocumented residents hiding inside a building. They were identified as men aged 21, 30, 34, 36, 38 and 53.

On Friday night, in another operation in Rahat, Border Police again encountered several suspects who tried to escape. Officers, guided from the air by a police drone, arrested three more undocumented residents aged 14, 41 and 41. In the same operation, a 23-year-old suspect was detained for questioning after police found what they said was cannabis in his possession.

Police said the Israel Police will continue “determined, proactive and focused” activity to find undocumented residents, employers and people who house them, in order to protect public safety and strengthen governance and public order.