Arkan Bashir
צילום: חגי אהרון
Career soldiers suspected of selling stolen weapons
Military car mechanic arrested for stealing weapons, ammunition from IDF bases and selling them in West Bank
An IDF mechanic has been arrested for allegedly stealing arms and ammunition from IDF bases in northern Israel over a period of several years. The police removed a gag order on the story Thursday morning.
A joint police and Shin Bet investigation found that 29-year-old Arkan Bashir, a career soldier from the village Eilut near Nazareth, used to steal arms from army bases in the north and sell them to brokers, who then sold them to residents of the West Bank.
Three other people have been arrested in the case, including Ahmad Bashir, Arkan's brother. They will be indicted Thursday at the Nazereth district court.
"We have not ruled out the possibility that the stolen goods ended up in the hands of terrorists," said sources at the Amakim district police.
Shin Bet initiated the investigation when information was received about Bashir. The Central Investigations Unit of the Amakim district police was brought in soon after.
Several soldiers admitted to having sold weapons to Bashir. Others said that they refused his requests.
Ami Mualem, head of the Central Investigations Unit of the Amakim District, explained that Bashir, with his brother's help, contacted an arms dealer from Eilut, Kautar Abu Ayish. He would provide the two with orders for certain products.
After Bashir stole them Ayish would buy them off the brothers and pass them on to Naser Hatib from the village of Qana. Hatib would then transfer the arms to residents of the West Bank city of Tulkarem.
Police have also arrested Ahmed Buz, from Tulkarem, who purchased the weapons.
Thousands of bullets were stolen over the period in question, each valued at NIS 5, as well as guns and other weapons.
