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Ammon News - Israeli security forces arrested five Palestinian men overnight suspected of smuggling guns from Jordan, confiscating eight shotguns in the process, the military said Tuesday, timesofisrael reported.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, four suspects were identified approaching the border in the Jordan Valley by troops operating security cameras. Soldiers and police officers dispatched to the scene arrested the four, and they were found to be in possession of eight shotguns.

A fifth suspect was arrested after a brief chase, Israel Police said Tuesday morning.

The five Palestinian men were taken by police for further questioning, according to timesofisrael.

Police said they had been following a network of smugglers in the area for some time as part of an “undercover investigation.” Monday’s arrest was a joint effort between various police and military units operating in the area.

Law enforcement officials have previously indicated that guns smuggled in from Jordan are often sold to Arab Israelis, for both criminal and terrorist purposes.

The military and police have stepped up efforts to halt smuggling attempts along the Jordanian border in recent months.

Unlike Israel’s other frontiers — with Egypt, Lebanon and Syria — its border with Jordan is largely open, often without significant fencing, and is relatively unguarded, making it an easy channel for large-scale smuggling.