Eight Israeli Arabs have been arrested for attacking two soldiers and stealing their weapons in order to sell them, an Akko court cleared for publication Wednesday.
Police say the gang's aim was not terror but rather monetary, a goal they reportedly achieved by earning thousands from the sale of the M-16 rifles they allegedly stole.
Shin Bet and police officers arrested the gang members over the past few months. Among the detainees are four family members from Sakhnin, thought to be the initiators of the crimes.
The first incident occurred on January 3 of this year, when a soldier from Karmiel was attacked near his home. He sustained a blow to the head and his weapon was stolen.
A suspect was arrested on the same day and the soldier identified him in a lineup. The indictment against him was lifted only after he had spent two months in detention.
The second incident occurred on February 25, when another soldier was similarly attacked at a major junction in the Galilee. The Akko Magistrates' Court decided to place a gag order on the case due to the recurring instances.
The joint Shin Bet and police investigation of the second incident led to the solving of the first. Officers began to follow three members of the Shalata family from Sakhnin and arrested three – Omar, Muzhar, and Mohammad. A search of one of their homes revealed a handgun hidden in a computer.
The three confessed and implicated five others, all residents of the Galilee, in the crimes. Among those arrested were attackers of the soldiers as well as buyers and sellers of the weapons.
Injured soldier evacuated (Archive photo: Avihu Shapira)
Police discovered during interrogations that on the day of the first attack the gang also trailed another soldier, who traveled by bus from Golani junction to Afula in the Galilee. They followed him through the city but eventually lost track of him, police say.
Omar Shalata is suspected to have served as the group's leader – planning the attacks, driving the getaway car, and participating in the sale of the weapons. Muzhar is suspected of attacking the soldiers and stealing the weapons, and Mohammad assisted in the trafficking.
Police insist the men acted out of criminal motives and not terror-related aims. Chief-Superintendent Avi Maor explained that one of the M-16 rifles stolen was sold very quickly, connoting financial difficulties.
"One of the brothers, who was the initiator of the crimes, was also heavily in debt due to the construction of his home," Maor told Ynet, more proof of the suspected motive.