During the month of July, Ashdod Customs and the National Customs Cargo Inspection Center detained for inspection two containers weighing 54 tons that were supposed to contain plaster bags shipped from Turkey to the Gaza Strip.
The customs inspectors in Ashdod Port suspected that some of the material found in the containers was not plaster. The material was taken to a lab for testing, and the results confirmed the suspicions. The suspected substance was ammonium chloride weighing 16 tons, which was hidden among the bags of plaster.
Ammonium chloride is a dual-use substance known to be used by the terrorist organizations in Gaza in manufacturing the rockets that are eventually launched at the State of Israel.
Israeli authorities issued a statement saying, “The Customs Administration at the Tax Authority will continue to act resolutely to thwart the smuggling of dual-use materials and weapons to the Gaza Strip.”
