Palestinian accused of smuggling phones to security prisoners inside his body

Border police officers arrested a Palestinian teenager earlier this month on suspicion of trying to smuggle mobile phones to Palestinian security detainees held in a military prison in the West Bank, he said. Thursday the police.

The 18-year-old Palestinian from Qalandiya, north of Jerusalem, was arrested on 15 November after illegally entering Israel, according to border police. They then found a 5.56 millimeter bullet on his person.

After a first interrogation, the Palestinian was sent to Ofer Military Prison where, during a security check, the guards discovered eight phones, five phone keypads, 19 SIM cards and a memory card. that he had hidden in his body.

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Border police told the teenager that an unidentified suspect had offered him 20,000 NIS (5,390 USD) in exchange for smuggling phones into the prison.

The teenager, who was not included in the police statement, was charged Thursday on four counts of an attempt to smuggle phone and possession of the bullet, as well as to a charge. incident in June 2011 in which he illegally entered Israel.

"The Israeli police as well as other security organizations will continue to act to prevent trafficking in prisons, including the trafficking of cellular devices that can be used by various elements in prison to carry out acts of terror," he said. the police.

Ofer Military Prison, near the Betunia City, West Bank, May 1, 2015. (Miriam Alster / Flash90)

The arrest of the Palestinian follows several other failed attempts to introduce cell phones into prisons in recent years.

Basel Ghattas, a former MP, was jailed for pbading mobile phones to security prisoners while he was legislator for the party "List (Arabic)". Images from a surveillance camera of the prison service showed the Arab legislator handing envelopes to prisoners in Ketziot Prison in the south of the country. He was finally sentenced to two years in prison and began serving his sentence in July 2017.