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Israeli police bust major weapons ring, file indictments in north

Seven suspects face charges after a year-long probe into illicit arms sales in Israel and Judea and Samaria; large weapons cache seized in Yarka raid.

Weapons seized in the Yarka raid, including pistols, rifles, explosives and ammunition. Credit: Israel Police.
Weapons seized in the Yarka raid, including pistols, rifles, explosives and ammunition. Credit: Israel Police.

The Israel Police announced on Sunday that indictments will be filed against seven individuals accused of trafficking military-grade weapons and ammunition to criminal groups and terrorist organizations in Judea and Samaria.

The arrests follow a year-long investigation by the Northern District Central Unit and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), which thwarted major arms shipments in several locations.

Authorities arrested two residents of Tamra near Yavor Junction after a pursuit on June 7, 2024, finding them in possession of 10 explosive charges. Later in the year, on Nov. 22, two residents of Ma’ale Iron were apprehended at Megiddo Junction with around 20,000 rounds of ammunition, and just days afterward, on Nov. 25, a Kafr Qasim resident was caught on Route 6 near Yokneam with approximately 5,000 rounds.

During a raid on the main warehouse supplying the weapons in the town of Yarka, police seized a significant arms cache, including 6 Glock pistols, 3 M16 rifles, 1 Kalashnikov rifle, a large quantity of explosives, dozens of explosive detonators, thousands of rounds of ammunition and spare parts for weapons.

The police statement emphasized the disruption of arms bartering and sales to terrorist groups, exposing dozens of security offenses.

Indictments against suspects from Yarka, Jat, Baqa al-Gharbiyye and Segev Shalom are set to be filed at the Haifa District Court, while two additional suspects in their 20s from the Palestinian Authority towns of Shuweika and Silat al-Kharithiya remain in custody as the investigation continues.

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