Israeli security officials announced on Monday that they had uncovered and disrupted an Iranian spy ring operating in northern Israel, after seven Israeli citizens were detained on suspicion of supporting Jerusalem's arch-enemy.
In a joint statement by Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet, and the Israeli Police, all suspects provided information on key military and energy infrastructure, Israeli news agency TPS reported.
Two minors, whose names remain confidential, and five others, identified as Aziz Nisanov, Alexander Sedikov, Vyacheslav Gushchin, Evgeny Ioffe, and Yigal Nissan, were given the operational codename “Elkan”. He was arrested and charged with espionage in support of two Iranian agents. And “Orkan”.
On October 7, 2024, an Israeli border police officer stands at the scene of a rocket fired from Lebanon that landed near Maalot in northern Israel, damaging a home. (Reuters/Avi Ohayon)
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Israeli police said in a statement: “The scale and severity of these acts make them among the most dangerous security violations Israel has ever faced. The suspects acted deliberately, motivated by financial greed, and and endangered the safety of the public,” he said in a statement.
The suspects are residents of Haifa and other areas in northern Israel and are suspected of gathering information about Israel's military bases, including air and naval facilities, as well as Israel's infamous Iron Dome defense system.
The suspects are also suspected of passing information to Iranian intelligence about Israel's critical energy infrastructure, including its largest power plant in Hadera. This could be a tactic that suggests Iran may be trying to capitalize on a strategy long held by Russia, its biggest ally, which has frequently targeted Ukraine. energy system.
According to Shin Bet, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars, the spy network used sophisticated equipment to photograph sensitive locations and provided critical information to Iranian intelligence agents, some of whom Israel News Agency confirmed that cryptocurrencies were used.
Children play on the beach with a power plant in the background in the coastal city of Hadera on May 19, 2012. The power plant was recently targeted by an Iranian spy ring after an Israeli citizen was found to have taken photos of the facility. in exchange for money. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
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However, it turned out that the suspects were not only collecting information on military and energy targets, but also spying on other Israeli citizens.
An Israeli investigation conducted in conjunction with security agencies and the Israel Defense Forces found that certain citizens were being maliciously targeted.
Security forces reportedly arrested several suspects while conducting surveillance on an Israeli citizen believed to have been the target of a planned attack by Iran.
According to TPS, a senior Shin Bet official said, “Intelligence gathering takes place on military bases and energy infrastructure, and the group's activities threaten Israel's national security at a time when Israel is involved in multiple conflict zones.'' “It caused serious damage.”
Members of the Israeli military and police work at a home damaged by a rocket attack from Lebanon in northern Israel on September 25, 2024. (Reuters/Jim Urquhart)
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The suspects are expected to be indicted within the next few days.
The announcement of Iran's spy network comes as tensions between Jerusalem and Tehran remain at an all-time high, but it is not the first time Israeli security teams have uncovered such a conspiracy.
In August, another Israeli Nationals from southern Israel He was arrested on suspicion of involvement in planning future attacks by Iran. prime minister of israel Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu.
