The Israel Police on Monday arrested dozens of individuals suspected of trafficking arms and dangerous drugs after an extended undercover investigation.

Authorities said the raid was made possible after a Bedouin agent working undercover for an elite police investigative body infiltrated the network, marking the first time a member of the community was employed for such a task.

The agent, nicknamed “The Nomad,” operated under the auspices of the Lahav 433 major crimes unit for an extended period, gathering evidence against the alleged smugglers before this morning’s wave of arrests.

Hundreds of officers raided locations across the country, nabbing suspects ferreted out by the agent. Many of the targets were located in southern Bedouin towns, including Rahat, Tel Sheva, and Bir Hadaj, but police also made arrests in Arad, Dimona, Eilat, and East Jerusalem.

The agent documented a significant number of arms and drug transactions, police said.

Four M16s, dozens of handguns, and half a kilogram of cocaine were among the items seized in the raids, according to police.

סוכן שהופעל ע״י להב 433 הפיל עשרות סוחרי אמל"ח ברחבי הארץ בתום הפעלה סמויה וממושכת שנוהלה על ידי יחידת אתג״ר בלהב 433 ומחלק מפעילי הסוכנים באח״מ להב 433, נעצרו במהלך הבוקר עשרות חשודים בעבירות סחר באמצעי לחימה בלתי חוקיים וסחר בסמים. Advertisement if(typeof rgb_remove_toi_dfp_banner != "function" ||........

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