i24 News Israel’s security agency arrested five Israelis accused of assisting an Iranian man to gather intelligence and recruit agents in the Jewish state, according to an indictment cleared for publication on Wednesday.
The five suspects – four women and one man – are reportedly all Jewish immigrants from Iran or the descendants of Iranian immigrants.
According to Shin Bet, the recruited agents allegedly sent photographs of various sites around Israel, including the United States Embassy in Jersualem, at the Iranian handler’s request.
They were also asked to secretly film an Israeli legislator in return for cash, Walla! News reported.
“An intention to establish a spy network for Iran, which operated within the State of Israel, was exposed and thwarted,” a senior Shin Bet official said.
Four of the suspects were indicted on charges of making contact with a foreign agent, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Under the name “Rambud Namdar,” the Iranian handler pretended to be a Jew living in Iran and built relationships with the Israeli citizens through Facebook.
Other suspected performed tasks include taking photographs of the US Consulate in Tel Aviv, forming relationships with politicians, providing information about security arrangements, and other operations at the direction of “Namdar.”
One case involved the Iranian handler allegedly attempting to convince one of the suspects’ sons to improve his Persian dialect and join Israel’s military intelligence unit.
Some of the suspects were apparently aware that “Namdar” could have been an Iranian operative, but continued their relations with him anyways, according to Shin Bet.
“In their heinous acts, those involved endangered themselves, their family members, and innocent Israeli citizens,” the Shin Bet official added.
{Matzav.com Israel}
