Israeli police said they detained six people Sunday for questioning over suspected corruption around a deal to buy submarines for Israel's navy from Germany's ThyssenKrupp.

Among those arrested were David Sharan, a former chief of the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and ex-navy commander Admiral Eliezer Marom who had already been questioned by investigators.

Searches were carried out at the homes of the suspects, media reports said.

In July, Germany delayed signing a deal with Israel for the sale of three submarines, an Israeli official said, as the corruption probe gained momentum.

That followed the arrest of several people on suspicion of offences including bribery and money laundering around the deal to buy the Dolphin submarines from the German industrial giant.

David Shimron, a relative of Netanyahu and his family lawyer who also represented ThyssenKrupp in Israel, was among those questioned and then released in July.

Israeli officials said Germany had not backed out of the deal but was waiting to see the outcome of the investigation, daily newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported.

In February, Israel's justice ministry said it had launched an investigation into the affair, stressing that Netanyahu himself was not a suspect.

Media reports said Sunday's arrests follow revelations by ThyssenKrupp's Israel representative Michael Ganor.

He was held in custody and in a plea bargain agreed to testify against those he claimed were his accomplices.

The submarines ordered by Israel are likely to be equipped with nuclear missiles but are primarily intended for spy missions off Iran or to attack that country in case of nuclear war, according to foreign military experts.

Source: AFP