A young man from Haifa and three others suspected of manufacturing explosives at an Iranian agent’s behest as part of a plot to “harm a senior figure” are set to be charged in court in the coming days, police said Thursday, after a gag order was lifted on the case.

Haifa resident Ami Gaydarov, 22, was arrested on March 9 on suspicion of maintaining contact with an Iranian intelligence agent since last August.

The senior figure in question was widely reported to be former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who has been a target of Iranian espionage efforts in the past.

The young man allegedly rented an apartment in the city’s downtown area as a makeshift laboratory, so he could create and test the materials with his alleged accomplices.

A Lahav police investigator who spoke to the Ynet news site said Gaydarov — with the help of his handler — managed to create TATP, a highly volatile explosive often used in terror attacks due to its relatively simple recipe. He reportedly made 8-10 kilograms (18-22 lbs) of the material, storing it in jars.

Police said he was assisted by others, among them Haifa residents Sergey Leibman and Edward Shovtiuk, who are set to face charges in the coming days. They allegedly helped him purchase ingredients and hide and test the material.

The fourth suspect has not yet been named.

On top of manufacturing explosives, police said Gaydarov was also instructed to take photos of the Haifa........

© The Times of Israel