A former Israeli minister is in custody on suspicion of spying for Iran, Israeli officials announced on Monday.
Gonen Segev, who served as Energy and Infrastructure Minister in the 1990s, was arrested during a visit to Equitorial Guinea in May and subsequently extradited to Israel, the Shin Bet intelligence service said.
He had been living in Nigeria.
Segev, a trained pediatrician, served time in jail for trying to smuggle 32,000 ecstasy (MDMA) tablets from the Netherlands into Israel. He said he thought they were M&Ms
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) June 18, 2018
Shin Bet said Mr Segev “was recruited by Iranian intelligence and served as an agent”
Ynetnews reported he was charged with espionage, aiding an enemy in war time, as well as providing information to the enemy.
The former minister and parliamentarian is alleged to have provided details of Israel's energy industry and security sites in the country, as well as information on political and military officials.
Mr Segev, who is a trained doctor, served in governments led by Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres in 1995 and 1996.
He was jailed for five years in 2005 for trying to smuggle tens of thousands of ecstasy tablets into Israel from the Netherlands and was released two years later.
