A special joint police-IDF operation saw the arrest of Majed Mughrabi, who is suspected of operating a car theft gang in recent months that would carjack vehicles in Israeli territory and demand thousands of shekels in ransom.
A search of Mughrabi's house revealed what appears to be stolen equipment, including police equipment.
The method of stealing cars and demanding ransom for them has been going on for many years, but recently, the special police unit has received a growing number of similar complaints, all of which reported being asked by Mughrabi to call the same phone number.
The warrant for his arrest filed with the Magistrate's Court in Ramla by Master Sergeant Rinat Rahman alleged that Mughrabi had operated an entire network for extorting money from car owners.
Mughrabi allegedly operated a gang of thieves living in Israel, who would steal cars for him and transport them to the Israel-Ramallah checkpoint, where he would take over.
Mughrabi would use the car's license plate to track down the owner's phone number, and make the call demanding ransom.
It was the same call every time: Mughrabi would allegedly demand thousands of shekels to have the car returned. If the car owner would fail to meet his request, the vehicle would be dismantled and its parts would be sold in Ramallah markets.
Police are still searching for Mughrabi's accomplices in Israel. On Monday, after a period of having his phone tapped, the special police unit accompanied by a military force raided his home in the heart of Ramallah.
Car parts, and other property believed to be stolen were seized in a search of his house.
Investigators also found police equipment in Mughrabi's house, which they believe may have been stolen out of police officers' private vehicles.
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