French consulate worker smuggled arms from Gaza

An employee of the French consulate in Jerusalem is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, and is being charged with with smuggling weapons to Palestinians.

According to Israel's Shin Bet security agency, 23-yeare-old Romain Franck was arrested in February. It said, Franck, a French citizen, smuggled arms from Gaza to the West Bank using a diplomatic car to avoid detection.

Shin Bet said he smuggled a total 70 pistols and two assault rifles. The agency added that he is one of nine suspects so far arrested.

The agency said Mr. Franck received the weapons from a Palestinian employed at the French Cultural Center in Gaza and transferred them to a third person in the West Bank in the course of five trips.

"This is a most serious incident, cynically exploiting the immunity and additional privileges extended to foreign representatives to Israel," the agency said in a statement.

French embassy's spokesperson in Tel Aviv told AFP news agency: "We take this case very seriously and are in close contact with the Israeli authorities."

Israel has long tried to prevent arms reaching Palestinian militants and maintains a blockade around the Gaza Strip alongside Egypt, aimed at preventing weapons smuggling and attacks by Gaza-based militants. Tight security measures are also in place to prevent arms from getting to militant cells in the West Bank.



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