Weapons seized by the Israel Police and the IDF in northern Israel, March 24, 2022. Photo: Israel Police

A large cache of weapons and drugs smuggled into Israel from Lebanon was interdicted and seized by the Israel Defense Forces and police on Thursday.

The cache, which included 61 weapons and half a kilogram of drugs, was discovered while being transported in a vehicle by three Israeli citizens from the town of Tuba-Zangariyye in northern Israel, local media reported.

The three smugglers were arrested at the scene and are currently being questioned by security forces.

The monetary value of the smuggled goods was estimated at NIS 3.5 million (approximately $1.1 million).

Four smuggling attempts have been thwarted since the beginning of the year, leading to the seizure of 120 weapons of various kinds, according to law enforcement.

The Israel Police’s Northern District Chief Shimon Lavi commented, “If the weapons had reached the streets of the Arab sector, they would have been fired. Whoever obtains an illegal weapon of this type, buys it in order to use it.”

“We saved the lives of several dozen residents here,” he added, “some of them unquestionably innocent civilians and even children who could have been hurt.”