An israeli court on Monday sentenced a former employee at the French consulate seven years in prison for smuggling weapons from the Gaza strip to the west bank.
The 24-year-old Romain Franck worked as a driver at the French consulate.
He used that diplomatbiler is rarely controlled by israeli checkpoints, and contraband 70 guns and two automatic rifles from the Gaza strip to the israeli-occupied west bank.
in addition to fængselsstraffen got Franck also a fine of 30,000 shekel. It is similar to 55.700 crowns.
His lawyer, Kenneth Mann says that the judge probably gave the young French a relatively mild verdict, because he has shown remorse.
Franck has explained that his motive for smuggling weapons was to make money, and that it was not of sympathy for the palestinian cause.
the secret service Shin Bet says that he got a payment on the 5500 dollar (36.500 euros) for våbensmuglingen.
Franck will request to be allowed to serve fængselsstraffen at home in France, adds the lawyer.
– of course It is a very, very difficult case for the whole family, but they understand that such is the law. They hope that their son will return to France as soon as possible, says Mann after Monday’s settlement.
Franck was arrested in February 2018. The case against him was initiated the month after in the city of Beersheba in southern Israel.
Israeli authorities believe that he acted on his own.
