Israeli police busted a smuggling operation carrying approximately one million shekels' worth of goods, police announced on Sunday.
The final destination of the smuggled goods is suspected to have been the Gaza Strip.
The police operation was conducted in the village of Ararat an-Naqab in the Negev. A house in the village was raided and found to contain the smuggled goods, many of which are suspected to have been stolen from Israeli stores.
Among the items were around seven hundred cellphones, flat irons, shaving machines, and hundreds of cigarette packets.
The owner of the property and his wife were arrested and taken in by the police for questioning. The smuggled goods were confiscated and taken in for further investigation.
Israel to take anti-smuggling measures at reopened Rafah Crossing
As the Rafah Crossing is expected to reopen soon, Israel is reportedly taking steps to reduce the smuggling of weapons and dual-use items into the Gaza Strip.
These extra precautions include additional screening taking place at a facility separated from the crossing itself, as IDF troops will not be stationed within the Rafah Crossing itself.