Israeli police says arms confiscated and four suspects arrested in Jordan Valley

Israeli forces announced on Wednesday the seizure of weapons in the Jordan Valley area.

The Israeli border guard’s Matilan unit - the intelligence gathering and infiltrations interception unit - arrested four suspected arms dealers close to Gesher in the Jordan Valley on Tuesday, a police statement said.

It said the suspects had ten pistols on them.

The arrests reportedly took place after a police chase, and the detained were referred to an investigation team in Nazareth.

The nationality of the suspects was not revealed, and no further details were given by Israeli police.

Israel claims to have thwarted several such attempts to smuggle in weapons in the past months, especially along the border with Jordan.

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a "security fence" to span Israel and the occupied West Bank's 300km border with Jordan, claiming such a measure would stop drug and weapons smuggling into the country.

Israeli authorities allege that the Jordan frontier has become a hotspot for the smuggling of drugs and guns into Israel with alleged involvement by "militias".

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and controls entry to and from the occupied Palestinian territory.