YAKOBYAN Kaburak

Kaburak Yakobyan, an Armenian by origin, who lived in Egypt and worked as a photographer, was recruited by the 'Mukhabarat' in December 1959. The leaders of the Egyptian intelligence decided that he was a worthy candidate to work with illegal positions in Israel. Incidentally, recruited Yakobyana, when he was in a Cairo prison:
During the year he was preparing to carry out tasks. Since he had to go to Israel under the guise of a Jew, Kaburak studied Hebrew, Judaism, the history of the Jewish state, regularly visited a synagogue in Cairo. Moreover, to resemble one hundred percent of the Jews, he agreed to get circumcised. Of course, it taught the basics of intelligence activities, invented a legend to cover up.

The Armenian Kaburak Yakobyan became Jew Isaac (Zaki) Koshukov. According to his passport he was born in 1935 (in fact Yakobyan was born in 1938) in Thessaloniki in the family of Jews who had emigrated from Turkey. However, the authors have forgotten the legend that Thessalonica was annexed by Greece in 1912 and has since been part of Greek territory.
New legend lives Yakobyana-Koshukov was simple. His father deserted the family when he was a child. His mother died in Egypt, and he still keeps a photo of her grave in a Jewish cemetery in Cairo. To consolidate its 'authenticity', he got the various documents received from the leadership of the Jewish community.

The fall of 1960 Yakobyan presented at the Cairo bureau of the United Nations addressed to the identity of Isaac (Zaki) Koshukov. He asked him to issue a certificate of a refugee, claiming that the Egyptian authorities refused to renew the residence permit.
A few weeks later he received a certificate and went to the Brazilian Embassy for a visa. In March 1961, he received it in April on board the ship arrives in Rio de Janeiro.

In a way Yakobyan-Koshukov met with young Israelis from the kibbutz (agricultural cooperative) Brur-Khail. With his wife and two children on his way to Brazil to visit his parents. The newly illegal alien gave details about his past life, but little knowledge of Judaism does not allow him to deceive companion. Moreover, already in Rio, where they once walked down the street, they met an orthodox Jew, from the clothes which could be seen the fringe shawl for prayer. Yakobyan-Koshukov not know what that means, and the Israelis drew attention to this.

In Brazil, an Egyptian spy was to establish contacts with various people, which gave him a list of the curators of the 'Mukhabarat'. One of these people was Salem Abdulaziz Al-Said - Egyptian intelligence resident in Brazil, who worked under the guise of a sales representative. He gave him permission to work and advised to find a place photographer.
In the autumn of 1961, finding that a reliable protection is provided, Yakobyan-Koshukov went to the Israeli consulate for a visa. He received it in early December and immediately left Brazil.

First he went to Genoa, where he met with Egyptian intelligence, and received final instructions. Yakobyan-Koshukov was to infiltrate the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Preferable to armor.

He arrived in Israel on Dec. 19, 1961 and some time later paid a visit to Brazilian friend from the kibbutz Brur-Khail. I must say that the doubts that assailed Israeli in Rio, not only scattered, but on the contrary - increased. In the end, he appealed to the Israeli secret service. He listened carefully and gave the job to continue contacts with the 'new immigrant'.

On the advice of Brazilian friend Yakobyan_Koshuk intensively studied Hebrew at Kibbutz Dorot. But, for whatever his reasons, he decided to leave the settlement and moved to Kibbutz Negba. There he spent three months, engaging in Hebrew. And there also met with a young girl fell in love at first sight.

In November 1962 Yakobyan-Koshukov settled in Ashkelon, and was soon drafted into the IDF. He tried to get into the armor, but has a small transport unit. A year later, he filed a report on the demobilization. Although military service for the people of his age is mandatory, the request met the.

The cause of his demobilization was that he could not obtain the information provided by intelligence interest. Incidentally, the curators Yakobyana-Koshukov (as, indeed, he himself) had no idea that their agent is under the 'cap' of the Israeli intelligence.
Meanwhile, his relationship with a girl from the kibbutz Negba becoming more serious. He even began to think about marriage. But at this time intervened counterintelligence.

No evidence of espionage activities Yakobyana-Koshukov was enough and 19 December 1963 he was arrested. In his apartment found equipment for cryptography and other spy equipment.

Yakobyanu-Koshukov lucky: Israel has no death penalty for espionage. A military tribunal sentenced him to 18 years in prison. But in March 1966 he was released and deported to Egypt. More precisely, he and two Egyptians prisoners were exchanged for three Israelis who 'accidentally' crossed the Egyptian border in the Gaza Strip.