The Israel Tax Authority on Sunday detained Sharif Rabi, a resident of Beit Hanina in Jerusalem, on suspicion of smuggling 50 ounces of gold—equivalent to 1.8 kilograms and valued at approximately NIS 1.5 million. Rabi had returned to Israel on a flight from Dubai and attempted to pass through the green customs lane without declaring the gold, which was hidden on his body.
Hidden in an Undershirt
Rabi raised the suspicion of customs authorities and was stopped for inspection by Unit 747 of the Israel Police’s Ben Gurion Airport Division. A search revealed he was wearing a specially tailored undershirt with concealed pockets, designed to hide gold bars. Customs officers in the passenger terminal noticed the unusual garment and discovered the smuggled gold.
Tax Evasion Attempt
Following the discovery, the gold was confiscated, and Rabi was taken in for questioning by the Drug and Customs Enforcement Unit (YASAM) at Ben Gurion Airport. Authorities suspect that he attempted to bypass customs and avoid paying tax on the high-value cargo. The Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court released him under restrictive conditions, but the investigation is ongoing to determine whether this was a solo operation or part of a broader smuggling network.
Expanding Screening Measures
Police emphasized that detecting suspicious behavior among travelers is crucial to preventing such smuggling attempts. Enforcement activities at Ben Gurion Airport are based on intelligence received from both domestic and international security sources. “The combination of intelligence and behavior profiling is key to success in the fight against smuggling,” they noted.
The investigation will continue to assess whether others were involved in this smuggling attempt or in similar incidents in the past. At the same time, authorities are considering expanding screening methods to counter increasingly sophisticated smuggling techniques.
Customs officials at Ben Gurion Airport described the incident as unusual. A security official commented: “Smugglers will try every possible method to sneak in valuable goods, but we are fully prepared for any scenario. In this case, the alertness of our teams prevented a significant smuggling attempt.”
