A high-ranking officer in the Israel Defense Forces was indicted Thursday on multiple counts of drug trafficking and related offenses after he was caught selling vast quantities of the drugs he had been tasked with intercepting from smugglers. The IDF major, an operations directorate officer from Modi'in who had served in the southern Gaza division, was identified as the head of a major drug ring that smuggled some 385 lbs. of illicit substances for profit. Before being caught, he had been set to make close to 2 million shekels ($555,937). The major's name has been withheld from publication. Military prosecutors in Israel's southern district court charged him with 16 different counts of illegal activities, including conspiracy, trafficking dangerous drugs, possession of dangerous drugs, money laundering, theft by a public servant, fraud, breach of trust and overstepping authority to the point of endangering national security, among others. According to the indictment, the IDF can thank military forces along Israel's southern border with Egypt for sniffing out the drug-trafficking ring. The major and his cronies had allegedly been in the process of smuggling roughly 55 lbs. of heroin and 330 lbs. of hashish when they were caught. On March 22, IDF forces carried out a drug bust and seized several bags of drugs, containing both heroin and hashish, from smugglers. The drugs were transferred to the major's army base and stored in a safe close to his office. According to investigators, the major held a meeting with his sergeant major, Avi Shalom, in June, during which he boasted about being entrusted to safeguard the stash of drugs and added that the police had still not arrived to collect them after several months. Shalom allegedly told the major at that point that the drugs could be sold for profit, and the two agreed on the price of NIS 30,000 ($8,346) per kg. of heroin and NIS 10,000 (2,782) per kg. of hashish. The pair allegedly took until early October to work out the details of their trafficking plans. According to the charges, the major brought Shalom on base on several occasions and took him into the classified safe room where drugs were stored along with other sensitive items such as IDF maps. Anticipating a windfall from the selling of the drugs, the major allegedly made purchases including stocks and two iPads. He sold one of those iPads to a regimental commander for a profit. With some of the money coming in, the IDF major allegedly stashed NIS 295,000 ($82,005) in his home, hiding some of the bills in his childrens' rooms. The major was still awaiting several payments from the sale when he was caught. The major's defense attorney, Avi Amiram, told Israel Hayom on Thursday, "The defendant denies the charges against him," and that this case "involves a combat officer, one who has personally and physically stopped many attacks over the years. Military prosecution went for broke, and we will respond with war." The major will remain in custody for an extended period of two weeks.
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