Police in Peru announced that they have arrested an Iranian citizen and two Peruvians suspected of planning to murder two Israelis living in the country. The suspects were sentenced to 18 months in prison as a preventive measure in coordination with the investigation.
According to the court announcement, the three detainees are suspected of attempted murder and planning terrorist acts. Local prosecution said that the Iranian suspect, Majed Azizi, is a member of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards who worked to recruit intelligence outside of Iran.
The investigation of the incident revealed that Azizi arrived in Peru last March and made contact with the two locals, Walter Loha and Angelo Trusios in order to plan the murder of two Israeli citizens: Shahar Malka, who serves as a tourist guide in the city of Cusco, and Gilad Duchovni, who runs a local café together with his brother.
Police said that they raided Azizi's house in the capital city of Lima and found files with information about Malka and Duchovni. According to them, "it was established with a high degree of probability" that the Iranian planned to murder the two Israelis. It was also said that one of the Peruvian suspects was previously convicted of murder and armed robbery. Azizi denied the accusations against him and claimed that he suffers from a serious heart disease.