New cars disassembled, smuggled through tunnels into Gaza for $2,000
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts
GAZA CITY Ñ Hamas is increasing the flourishing tunnel commerce to enable the smuggling of large automobiles into the Gaza Strip.
Hamas sources said the smuggled vehicles included new automobiles ordered through Egypt. They said at least 10 such vehicles have been smuggled from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip over the last two months.
"They are disassembled, sent through the tunnels and reassembled in Gaza," a Hamas source said. "The whole process takes a little more than a day."
The source said several tunnels were widened to enable the smuggling of the vehicles. The vehicles were dismantled into four parts on the Egyptian side of the border town of Rafah.
"The cars are there for people who can afford them, but the government will also receive vehicles," the source said.
The sources said the automobiles have been ordered from Egyptian dealers and driven through the Sinai. They said the cost of smuggling a car into the Gaza Strip is about $2,000.
"The cars are separated into four parts, not including the engine, on the Egyptian side and are then transferred through the tunnels to Rafah," a Palestinian smuggler, identified only as Abu Bilal, told the Lebanese daily A-Safir. "After we receive all the parts we put them together and paint the car in the color requested by the buyer."
The most popular models of new cars were identified as Mitsubishi Lancer and Suzuki. The sources said the tunnels designed for car transport were dug up to 500 meters below the ground and measured more than a kilometer.
The sources said the widened tunnels could enable the smuggling of other large items, including weapons. The Hamas regime has sought to import Iranian-origin long-range rockets, including the Fajr-4, to the Gaza Strip.