Middle East - AP
Israel, U.S. Probe Alleged Arms Deal
Date: Sun, Mar 21, 2004
JERUSALEM - Israeli police arrested a man suspected of involvement in an arms smuggling operation to Iran that appears to be connected to a case in the United States, an Israeli police spokesman said Sunday.
At the request of U.S. investigators, Israeli police searched an office and warehouse Thursday in the Binyamina area of Israel, police spokesman Gil Kleiman said.
After the search, police arrested Israeli arms dealer Eli Cohen, who has been investigated in the past for allegedly transferring arms to Israel's arch-foe, Kleiman said.
Israeli Avichai Weinstein was also questioned by police Thursday and later released.
On Friday, Lev Cohen, an American, was indicted in Connecticut in connection with the alleged arms deal, Kleiman added. It was unclear if Eli Cohen and Zev Cohen were related.
A police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israeli police found components of the Hawk missile and parts used in a radar system installed in warplanes in the warehouse, which belongs to the Israeli company QPS.
Defense Ministry spokeswoman Rachel Niedek-Ashkenazi confirmed her ministry is involved in the investigation. The ministry is responsible for issuing arms dealing licenses and is checking whether Eli Cohen violated regulations, she said, but refused to elaborate further.
Two years ago, Israeli police investigated Eli Cohen on suspicion he transferred armored personnel carrier parts to Iran, Kleiman said. Police advised the attorney general to charge Cohen, however, he has not been indicted.
In addition, Germany and Israel are jointly investigating whether Cohen is involved in transferring arms to Iran on a ship that was caught by German authorities last year, Kleiman said.
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