The State Attorney’s Office filed a severe indictment with the Be’er Sheva District Court against Rashed Abu Gardud, 40, of Mas’udin al-Azazme, charging him with violating state border sovereignty after importing approximately 15 kilograms of methamphetamine from Egypt into Israel using drones.
According to the indictment, a widespread phenomenon of smuggling weapons and contraband across borders using drones has developed in recent years, posing a tangible threat to national security. The indictment was submitted by attorney Asaf Bar Yosef of the Southern District Attorney’s Office following an extensive investigation conducted by the Central Unit of the Israel Police’s Southern District.
The indictment notes that since 2025, thousands of smuggling operations have been carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles of this type, including drones capable of carrying significant payloads of tens of kilograms. Abu Gardud allegedly conspired with parties on the Egyptian side to import drugs into Israel.
In late August, the defendant drove a buggy to an area near the Israel-Egypt border. A drone carrying a package containing the dangerous drug was flown toward him from the Egyptian side. Abu Gardud received the drone inside Israeli territory, unloaded the cargo, and sent the drone flying back to Egypt.
Minutes later, a second drone carrying another package was flown toward him. The defendant collected both the drone and the package and placed them in his buggy. The two packages together contained about 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The defendant then hid the drug packages inside a bush and flew the second drone back to Egypt. He subsequently returned to the spot, retrieved the drug packages, and concealed them inside a ruined structure near an IDF training camp in the Tze’elim area.
Abu Gardud then spotted a police force approaching him and fled the scene in the off-road vehicle. After arriving in the Rahat area, he noticed additional police forces deploying to arrest him and began fleeing at extreme speed.
During the police pursuit, he failed to comply with an officer’s orders to stop, drove against the flow of traffic, crossed median strips and roundabouts, mounted sidewalks, and dangerously overtook vehicles, at one point forcing a tractor driving in a roundabout to swerve to avoid a collision.
He eventually reached a compound in Rahat, abandoned the buggy, removed a cover that had been placed over its license plate, and fled on foot. He then changed his clothes before being arrested by police officers.
Alongside the indictment, prosecutors filed a motion for remand until the conclusion of legal proceedings. The prosecution noted that Abu Gardud imported a large quantity of dangerous drugs from the border area and fled wildly in broad daylight through the city, with gunfire even directed at his vehicle during the pursuit.
The indictment charges him with violating state border sovereignty, importing a dangerous drug, altering vehicle identity, reckless and negligent acts, and obstructing a police officer in the line of duty, alongside a forfeiture request for the off-road vehicle.