Hundreds of Israeli residents have acquired calls from Iran’s intelligence service in makes an attempt to recruit them, the nation’s police power mentioned Saturday.
“Hundreds of citizens” reported that they acquired telephone calls from an unknown quantity on Saturday morning, Israel Police mentioned in a press release. When they picked up, “a person spoke to them and offered to recruit them to an Iranian organization,” it mentioned.
An alleged recording of one such telephone name was posted on the Israeli information website Ynet. In it, a robotic voice tells the listener that “the Iranian intelligence is looking for qualified agents,” providing a “competitive salary and comprehensive security.”
NCS has reached out to the Iranian overseas ministry for remark.
Police mentioned the calls have been “intended to cause alarm among the public during wartime,” including that they “represent attempts by Iranian intelligence elements to recruit Israeli citizens at home and abroad for the purpose of advancing intelligence-gathering and terrorist activities in Israel.”
Last yr, Israeli authorities mentioned an unprecedented number of its residents have been arrested for spying for Iran.
Some have been allegedly recruited through social media, with Iran reportedly spamming Telegram accounts with messages within the hope that some recruitment provides could also be accepted, police mentioned on the time.
Oded Allam, a former high Mossad official, instructed NCS in December that Iran is extra serious about casting a large internet than in recruiting expert operatives.
“They say to themselves: ‘Okay, if we fail here, we’ll go to the next one.’ And they don’t really care (about) the outcome,” Allam mentioned.
Since Hamas’ October 7 assaults on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza that adopted, Israel Police has investigated greater than 25 espionage instances linked to Iran, leading to roughly 46 arrests, Dean Elsdunne, a police spokesperson, instructed NCS this week.
In relation to the telephone calls on Saturday, Israel Police urged the general public to “remain vigilant” and report any “unusual incident” to authorities.
Authorities “will continue to act to locate and thwart terrorist and espionage activities in Israel and abroad, and will ensure that all those involved are brought to justice,” it mentioned in Saturday’s assertion.