Gaza Contractor Charged After 40 Kilos of Hashish, Tens of Thousands of Captagon Pills Found Near Philadelphi Corridor

Gaza Contractor Charged After 40 Kilos of Hashish, Tens of Thousands of Captagon Pills Found Near Philadelphi Corridor

Israeli prosecutors have charged a 25-year-old contractor from Rahat with possessing a massive quantity of illegal drugs after he allegedly left his assigned post inside Gaza without authorization, drove to the Philadelphi Corridor and picked up containers holding approximately 40 kilograms of hashish and tens of thousands of Captagon pills. The Southern District Prosecutor’s Office filed the indictment against Muhannad Abu Yahya in the Be’er Sheva District Court. Abu Yahya had been employed by a contractor carrying out infrastructure work at military positions inside the “yellow zone” of the Gaza Strip. Prosecutors said the Captagon pills found in his possession weighed approximately 11 kilograms. Abu Yahya was arrested in late July by investigators from the police central investigative unit on suspicion of transporting and trafficking drugs. Authorities also discovered 98 new cellular phones in his possession, although the phones were ultimately not included in the charges filed against him. According to the indictment, Abu Yahya left the military position where he was working without authorization and without the required security escort. He then traveled to the Philadelphi Corridor in southern Gaza, where he allegedly loaded several jerrycans that had been left along the side of the road into his vehicle. Investigators later determined that the containers held the large quantity of drugs. Soldiers reportedly noticed Abu Yahya behaving suspiciously and began monitoring his actions. According to prosecutors, he eventually stopped his vehicle and threw one of the jerrycans onto the side of the road before an IDF force arrived and took him into custody. Although investigators initially suspected Abu Yahya of drug trafficking, authorities said they did not gather sufficient evidence to establish that a drug transaction had taken place inside Gaza. Prosecutors therefore charged him with possession of dangerous drugs in quantities not intended for personal use. During questioning, Abu Yahya denied knowing that the containers held narcotics. He claimed that he believed the jerrycans contained diesel fuel and said he had stopped his vehicle because he wanted to drink water. Abu Yahya further claimed that when an IDF force approached and fired into the air, he became frightened and threw away the jerrycan. The Southern District Prosecutor’s Office, represented by attorney Wasim Abu Amer, has asked the court to keep Abu Yahya in custody until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against him. Prosecutors argued that the circumstances of the alleged offense demonstrated considerable audacity, accusing Abu Yahya of exploiting his position as a contractor and his unusual access to an active combat zone to commit serious criminal offenses. {Matzav.com}