The Shin Bet has been investigating extensive efforts by Iran to recruit Israelis to complete random jobs. Although these tasks seem innocent, they have the potential to cause real harm to the security of the state.
The way it works is that Iranian officials reach out to Israelis on social media (Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter) and offer them work.
During the last few months, many Israelis have received suspicious inquiries– although mostly they didn't respond to them and even reported them to the relevant authorities.
A senior official in the Shin Bet explained that "many fictitious Iranian profiles were located and monitored on the networks and information was collected about them. This led to the arrest and interrogation of Israeli citizens who were tempted to carry out missions. This investigation reveals, once again, the efforts of the Iranian intelligence agencies to recruit and exploit Israeli citizens in order to promote espionage and terrorist activity in Israel."
During an operation by the Shin Bet and Lahav Unit 433, Valdislav Victoson was arrested after the investigation revealed that Vladislav Victorson has been in contact on social media with an individual named "Mari Hossi" since August.
Victorson knew that he was talking to Iranians. Nevertheless, he carried out tasks including spraying graffiti, hanging banners, burying money and even burning vehicles in the Yarkon Park area.
Later, his Iranian contacts asked him to sabotage communication infrastructures and ATMs and set fire to forests. Some of the tasks described were documented and over $5,000 was paid for them. He even agreed to eliminate a person in Israel and throw a grenade at a house. Following this, he worked to obtain ammunition including a sniper rifle, pistols and grenades.
In order to carry out these tasks, the suspect recruited two Israelis, including his partner, Anna Bernstein, who performed some of the tasks. The suspect was also asked to locate street gangs in order to recruit them to carry out additional tasks and photograph demonstrators at protests.
Charges were filed against those involved for security offenses.
According to the Shin Bet, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police will continue to work together to detect Iranian activity and will work to bring all those involved to justice.
