Two Border Police Officers Charged with Corruption for Allowing Unauthorized Palestinian Crossings

The Police Investigations Department (Mahash) filed an indictment on Tuesday at the Jerusalem District Court exposing an alleged corruption case at the Al-Jib crossing near Jerusalem. During the intense fighting of Operation Iron Swords, two Border Police officers who served and commanded at the crossing reportedly allowed numerous unauthorized individuals and vehicles to enter Israel without inspection in exchange for bribes.

Central to the case is one officer who coordinated in advance with another accused individual to facilitate unauthorized crossings, sometimes hiding unauthorized persons in his vehicle. According to the indictment, the officer received bribes of approximately 1,500, 1,000, and 1,600 shekels on three occasions. In one instance, the money was handed over with a handshake, while in others it was concealed inside an identification document. The officer later deleted calls and messages with the accused from his phone to conceal their connection. He faces charges including bribery, fraud, breach of trust, and obstruction of justice.

The second officer is accused of maintaining ongoing contacts with local residents, providing them with information about crossing operations and work arrangements, and facilitating unauthorized crossings of relatives, acquaintances, and vehicles upon their request. In some cases, he allegedly asked other officers to assist in these unauthorized crossings. He also received benefits such as free meals at a restaurant owned by two local residents. He is charged with fraud, breach of trust, and failure to fulfill official duties.