Shea Levin — text status

Israeli police and customs investigators arrested several more suspects on Wednesday in a plot to smuggle cigarettes worth some 200 million shekels through Ashdod Port, one of the largest tobacco smuggling operations ever uncovered in Israel. The probe is ongoing and further arrests are expected. The smugglers tried to bring eight containers of cigarettes into the country without paying taxes. Two suspects were arrested last week, including the importer. The Ashdod customs director said there is concern that some of the cigarettes were destined for Gaza for money laundering and terror financing.