(Bloomberg) -- Seven Israelis have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars, Israeli police and security officials say.
The seven, Jewish citizens of Haifa and the north, carried out hundreds of information-gathering tasks on military bases as well as at ports, energy infrastructure sites and at Iron Dome missile defense batteries, according to a statement from the Israel Police and the Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet.
The severity and scope of their actions are among the most serious in Israeli history, police said in a separate statement. Prosecutors are expected to file an indictment in coming days, they said.
The suspects, including two minors, worked under the direction of two agents from Iranian intelligence, and were aware that the information they were passing on could harm the state and, in some cases, help the enemy in carrying out missile attacks.
They photographed and documented strategic sites, transferring the data to Iranian agents. The alleged spies purchased advanced equipment procured specifically for the tasks under Iranian guidance.
The suspects were also asked to collect intelligence on certain Israelis. Some of them were apprehended while gathering information on one Israeli, with security assessment indicating potential Iranian plans to harm this individual.
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