Three residents of the Bedouin village of Bir Hadaj—Muhammad Sarhin (29), Sharif Abu Gardud (26), and Younis Abu Gardud (38)—have been charged with smuggling hashish into Gaza using drones. The Southern District Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against them today (Monday) in the Be’er Sheva District Court, accusing them of providing means for terrorist acts, exporting and possessing dangerous drugs, and obstructing justice.
Using Drones
According to the indictment, Sarhin made contact with an Egyptian accomplice who provided drugs and instructed him to smuggle them into Gaza using drones. In exchange, the accused were promised tens of thousands of dollars for each successful smuggling operation.
During the first smuggling attempt, Sharif purchased a drone worth 20,000 shekels, and Sarhin received 5 kg of hashish from the Egyptian contact. After conducting a preliminary survey near Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, the pair successfully flew the drone into Gaza and received about $39,000.
In the second operation, Younis joined the team. The group carried out another preliminary survey—this time near Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha. The smuggling succeeded once again, and Sarhin was paid $50,000.
Caught Only After the Third Smuggling Attempt
After two successful smuggling operations, the trio attempted a third. However, during the preliminary survey near Ein HaShlosha, they were spotted by police forces. In an attempt to escape, the suspects drove at 140 km/h, even traveling in the opposite lane. Shots were fired at the vehicle’s tires during the chase until it was finally stopped. The suspects tried to flee on foot but were apprehended.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the three were involved in several instances of smuggling drugs and cigarettes from Israel to Gaza using drones capable of carrying dozens of kilograms.
A Serious Security Threat
In a joint statement, the police, ISA (Shin Bet), and IDF warned that smuggling into Gaza using drones poses a serious security risk, especially given Hamas’ use of drones for terrorist purposes. “Such smuggling attempts endanger both IDF forces and civilians,” the statement said. Security officials emphasized that they will continue to act decisively against any involvement in this type of smuggling.
