Tel Aviv – An Israeli man and an Uzbek woman were detained at Ben-Gurion Airport Monday on attempted smuggling charges after security officials found bullets and drugs encased in toys found in their carry-on bag and luggage, respectively, prior to boarding a flight to Uzbekistan.
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According to police, the unidentified 36-year-old man attempted to bring a doll stuffed with bullets and narcotics in his bag for Air Uzbekistan flight 302, scheduled to depart the airport at 2 p.m.
Upon discovering the doll’s contents, the man attempted to flee the scene, but was apprehended by guards within minutes, police said. During questioning he said he was unaware of the doll’s contents, and claimed that he was carrying it as a favor to a female passenger he had never met before who told him she reached the weight limit for her luggage.
A subsequent reexamination of all the luggage for the flight uncovered weapons and narcotics hidden in toys and dolls in the suitcase of a female Uzbekistan national, whom the suspect identified as the woman who gave him the doll, police said.
The flight was then postponed as both suspects were detained for further questioning at the airport’s police headquarters, police said. During an interview with Channel 2 shortly after the discovery, the airport’s head of security, Zohar Geffen, said all bags were being re-inspected.
“As a result of us locating the weapons, we immediately applied rigorous security procedures at BenGurion Airport,” Geffen said. “We found weapons and drugs, and we are doing everything we can in order to complete the search and get the plane safely off the ground and out of the airport.”
Both suspects are expected to be charged with weapons and drug smuggling, police said.
Pretty nervy to try this at Ben Gurion.
Because of these two smugglers pulling that stunt, they will make it more difficult for other travelers. Whenever there is a breach of security, a collective punishment mentality prevails, until the matter dies down.