30 arrested for drug-, arms-trafficking following undercover infiltration
Half a year ago, the Israel Police tasked a covert agent with uncovering illegal tracking in criminal circles; the investigation bore fruit, and a massive simultaneous arrest operation took place on Tuesday; Jerusalem District Police Commander: 'Our policy is to operate as many undercover agents as possible to achieve deterrence.'
Thirty persons, Jewish and Arab, were arrested on Tuesday by the Israel Police across the country on suspicion of trafficking weapons and dangerous drugs. The arrests were the result of a covert operation by a police agent, and the police claim that the weapons seized from the transactions were documented by their agent being used by terrorists to carry out attacks in the capital.
Against the background of the terrorist attacks, in which the illegal weapons were used by the terrorists, and following intelligence that the police gathered about the selling of drugs and weapons in Jerusalem, the police decided to send an undercover agent amongst the vendors.
The agent went undercover half a year ago. During that time, dozens of illegal weapons of different kinds were bought and sold, including M-16s, Carl Gustav m/45s, guns and stun grenades. Tens of thousands of shekels were exchanged for these sails.
Furthermore, the agent purchased, inter alia, 15 kg of marijuana, 200 g of cocaine and hundreds of ecstasy tablets. The drugs' value is estimated at hundreds of thousands of shekels.
The criminals employed slang in which weapons are termed "cars" and stun grenades are called "apples." Pallets of hashish are called "tables."
Tuesday morning, hundreds of police officers, including Border Police, set out on the arrest mission in the capital, Beitar Illit, Ma'ale Adumim and Tel Aviv. Of the 30 arrested, 11 were from east Jerusalem, and the police stressed that further arrests are expected. During the operation, law enforcement also seized cash and drugs of various types.
Before heading out on the mission in the morning, a ceremony took place in which Jerusalem District Police Commander Yoram Halevy awarded certificates of appreciate to the agent's supervisors in the Central Unit. Halevy commented, "Our policy is to operate as many undercover agents as possible to achieve deterrence. The criminals' feel that at any moment and in any place, somebody could catch (them) at any point in time."
