The Israel Security Agency (ISA) and police announced on Sunday that in February, they arrested Edward Yusufov, aged 65 from Netivot, southern Israel, on suspicion of severe security offenses. The investigation found that Yusufov was in contact with an individual who claimed to be an Azeri citizen who resided in Dubai and carried out surveillance and photographed sensitive Israeli sites for him. Among the locations that the suspect photographed, per the investigation's findings, were IDF bases, the Haifa Port, the Haifa oil refineries, and the Nuclear Research Center. In addition, it was revealed that under the orders of his Azeri handler, Yusufov rented an apartment overlooking the Haifa Port to use for the operational needs of hostile factors. Despite suspecting that a hostile country was using him, Yusufov continued performing tasks while receiving payment through cryptocurrencies and using various means to keep the connection secret. The investigation found that Iranian intelligence was using him. The Southern District Prosecutor is expected to submit an indictment against him on Monday.
