Israeli military helicopters pursue drug smugglers on Egypt border

The Israeli military has begun deploying helicopters in anti-drug smuggling operations along the Israeli-Egyptian border, the Israel Hayom daily reported Sunday. According to the report, Blackhawk utility helicopters from the southern Desert Birds Squadron have been scrambled a number of times to assist ground forces assigned to the Army's Gaza Division in identifying and tracking Bedouin drug smugglers from Sinai, who deliver narcotics to their Israeli counterparts by tossing them over the border fence. The cooperation between the pilots and ground troops has been crowned a success. Not a single drug delivery entered Israeli territory out of dozens of attempts made in recent weeks, Israel Hayom said. "The helicopters, along with surveillance measures and more efficient deployment of ground units, have successfully foiled all drug smuggling operations in the region as of late, though the volume of attempts has not decreased at all," the report said. A newly completed hi-tech security barrier that runs along the 240 km-long border, which was originally built to stem the tide of African migrants and defend against militants, has also brought about a dramatic reduction in the amount of drugs flowing into Israel, forcing the smugglers to upgrade their methods, according to Israel Hayom. Last week, the Gaza Division's southern brigade helped the police seize 80 kgs of Hashish intercepted during a high-speed chase that ended with the arrest of the smugglers.