From: Hamodia
By Dov Benovadia
Customs agents at Israel’s northern border foiled a major smuggling operation, confiscating 20,000 packets of cigarettes that were being smuggled from Lebanon into Israel. The smugglers – United Nations peacekeeping force soldiers, who were attempting to bring their loot into Israel in U.N. vehicles.
The incident occurred Monday morning at the Rosh Hanikra crossing from Lebanon into Israel. The crossing is used by members of UNIFIL, the U.N.’s peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, and the passage of soldiers in either direction is common. On Monday, four U.N. vehicles, each driven by a UNIFIL member, attempted to enter Israel. Customs agents asked one of the soldiers to open the trunk of his vehicle, but he refused, saying that the trunk could not be opened.
