Attempted to enter Israel using the identity of a monitored sex offender - and was exposed at the checkpoint
An illegal resident attempted to enter Israel at the Shuafat checkpoint by presenting a photo ID of a monitored sex offender. Officers from the Israel Prison Service's Tzur unit identified the impersonation. The two knew each other from prison and met about six months ago. The suspect was detained.
An unusual attempt by an illegal resident to enter Israel using the identity of a monitored sex offender was uncovered at the Shuafat refugee camp checkpoint in Jerusalem. The suspect presented a photo ID of another person on his mobile phone, but the identity he chose to use led to his exposure: it belonged to a sex offender under the supervision of the Tzur unit of the Israel Prison Service. The incident began when suspicion arose at the checkpoint toward a person seeking to enter Israeli territory, who identified himself with a false identity and did not reside in the area. When it emerged that the identity he presented belonged to an individual monitored by the Tzur unit, supervision and investigation officers from the unit were summoned to the scene to verify his details. The officers who arrived at the checkpoint conducted an examination, during which it became clear that the person before them was not the monitored sex offender, but an illegal resident who had used a photo of his ID in an attempt to pass through the checkpoint. The initial questioning also revealed the connection between the two: the suspect and the sex offender whose identity he presented knew each other during their time in prison, and about six months ago they even met in Jerusalem. At the end of the examination, the suspect was detained by the Israel Police for further handling. The commander of the Tzur unit in the IPS, Gendarmerie Brigadier General Yehuda Ahroni, stated following the incident: "The incident illustrates the vigilance, professionalism, and operational capability of the supervision officers in the Tzur unit of the Israel Prison Service, who work day and night to protect public safety." According to him, the cooperation with security and law enforcement agencies allows the unit to operate also in events that go beyond routine supervision.