SECURITY FORCES AND CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES SEIZE TERRORIST GOODS AT ASHDOD PORT
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Office)
Sunday, 13 November, 2005

The security forces and the customs authorities recently seized, at Ashdod
port, containers than included merchandise worth tens of thousands of US
dollars on suspicion that they were purchased with financing from Islamic
Jihad and were for use by it. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz signed the
seizure order on 1.11.05.

The seized goods had been sent to the "Abu Akar" company of Gaza, which
deals in the importation of foodstuffs, and is headed by Faiz Abu Akar, a
Khan Yunis businessman known for his links to terrorist organizations.

It is known that Islamic Jihad uses such methods to launder money in order
to finance terrorist activities. The goods are purchased from international
companies with funds from Islamic Jihad command centers abroad and are
transferred to commercial companies in the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Either the funds from the sale of the goods in the PA or the goods
themselves are transferred to Islamic Jihad elements in the Palestinian
areas.

In recent months there has been an upsurge in such activity both in light of
Islamic Jihad's success in perpetrating terrorist acts in Israel even during
the tahdia (declared calm) and in order to establish its military and
civilian infrastructures in the Palestinian areas.

These funds - estimated to be in the tens to hundreds of thousands of US
dollars - have served the Islamic Jihad infrastructures in Tulkarm and Jenin
in financing the 25.2.05 suicide-bombing at a Tel Aviv nightclub
(http://tinyurl.com/akxj8), in which five people were murdered and
approximately 50 were wounded; the 12.7.05 suicide-bombing at the Sharon
mall in Netanya (http://tinyurl.com/dc6fk), in which five people were
murdered and approximately 90 were wounded; and the recent 26.10.05
suicide-bombing at the Hadera market, in which six people were murdered and
55 were wounded.

The security forces and the customs authorities intend to tighten
supervision over incoming merchandise as part of the struggle against
terrorism financing.