To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (2339 ) 10/16/2003 12:44:37 PM From: Scoobah Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 22250 Shin Bet arrests PA official for smuggling weapons into Gaza By Haaretz Service The Shin Bet security service released Thursday that it had arrested Palestinian Authority official Akram Tubasi in September on suspicion of buying weapons in Egypt and smuggling them into the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported. Defense sources also implicated former PA security affairs minister Mohammed Dahlan in the weapons-smuggling, Army Radio reported. Tubasi, a 31-year-old Rafah resident who served in the Palestinian coast guard, told his questioners that he used tunnels in Rafah to smuggle the weapons to Gaza, security officials were quoted as saying. The IDF has been conducting an operation in Rafah to expose arms-smuggling tunnels such as the ones Tubasi allegedly used. Three smuggling tunnels have been unearthed in the operation, in which nine Palestinians were killed and some 1,400 Palestinians were left homeless after the IDF destroyed about 60 buildings. The Shin Bet said Tubasi was assisted by three youths who stayed in Egypt and would pass through the tunnel into the Gaza Strip with thousands of rounds of Kalashnikov ammunition that was purchased in Egypt. One of Tubasi's clients was Nabil Tamus, a top ranking member of the Palestinian security forces in the Gaza Strip, the Shin Bet said. Tubasi allegedly delivered two missiles, 3,000 rounds of ammunition and a Kalashnikov rifle to Tamus's office. Tamus then told Tubasi that he intended to check with Dahlan whether he is interested in more missiles, defense sources told Army Radio. In addition, the Shin Bet suspects Tubasi of supplying weapons to Fuad Shubaki, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat's former financial adviser, Israel Radio reported. Tubasi is suspected of providing Shubaki with six missiles about two years ago. Israel says Shubaki played a central role in trying to smuggle weapons - including Katyusha rockets, missiles, mines, rifles and ammunition - aboard the Karine A ship, which the navy seized in January 2002 on its way to the Suez Canal.