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Some of items found in storeroom
Photo courtesy of Israel Police

Man suspected of storing arms on parents’ grounds

Druze resident of Beit Jann questioned after explosive device, grenades belonging to IDF found near parents’ sheepfold

A 30-year old resident of Beit Jann was arrested Wednesday on suspicion that he was storing weapons on his parents’ territory. Police believe the weapons were stolen from the Israel Defense Forces with criminal intent.

 

The storeroom was discovered near a sheepfold in Beit Jann, a Druze town in the Upper Galilee. Officers from Carmiel Police, sappers, detectives, and Border Guard officers raided the location after receiving a tip.

 

A search on the premises revealed an explosive device and 14 M203 grenades for a grenade launcher fitted to an M16 rifle.

 

A large store of ammunition was also discovered, including 4,500 5.56 mm bullets, as well as internal parts of an M16.

 

Karmiel Police chief Rami Neimark said it was “a large, quality bust of weaponry dangerous to the public”, and that the suspect was being questioned. Police will demand the remand of his arrest Thursday in court.

 

In recent months police have raided a number of weapons storehouses located in Arab and Druze villages in the Galilee. They have found explosive devices, grenades, and improvised weapons.

 

Recently Northern District Police Commander Major-General Shimon Koren estimated that the north was teeming with weapons trafficking, mostly conducted by minorities. A recent poll shows there are 22,000 legally owned weapons throughout the district.

 

"For every legally-held weapon there is an illegally held one,” Koren said. “We estimate around 12,000 of these belong to the Arab sector, and in the district itself there are thousands of additional weapons, including handguns, M16 rifles, grenades, Lau missile launchers, explosive devices, and ammunition.”

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.04.10, 00:50
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