The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Israeli authorities had arrested a Jordanian lawmaker suspected of trying to smuggle quantities of arms and gold from Jordan to the West Bank. “The ministry (…) is following the case of MP Imad al-Adwan, who was arrested by the Israeli authorities,” Jordanian diplomatic spokesman Sinan al-Majali said in a statement.
According to the latter, the MP was arrested for questioning about “an alleged operation to smuggle quantities of arms and gold”. “The ministry, in cooperation with the relevant organs of the kingdom, is working to determine the circumstances of the case and remedy them as soon as possible,” he said. MP Imad Al-Adwan, 35, is a lawyer and a member of the Palestine Committee of the Jordanian Parliament.
A viral video on social networks
Hebrew-language media reported that Israeli authorities arrested the lawmaker at the King Hussein Bridge at the Israeli-controlled Allenby crossing that connects the West Bank and Jordan. They said weapons and gold were found inside his vehicle as it crossed into the occupied West Bank. So far, the Israeli authorities have not communicated on the incident.
A video circulating on social media in Israel, the authenticity of which could not immediately be verified, shows weapons allegedly seized from the lawmaker’s car, including pistols and automatic rifles. Israel and Jordan have been linked since 1994 by a peace treaty.