IDF comptroller conducts snap inspections of armories after mass thefts

The Israel Defense Forces’ comptroller has begun an inspection of the armories at some 250 military bases, after several incidents of mass theft of ammunition last year.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Ofer Sarig, the IDF comptroller, will inspect all of the military’s armories and bunkers, from the level of battalions and upwards, to check their level of security.

Sarig will hold meetings over the next five days with military officials responsible for security on various bases, the IDF says.

The inspection will also focus on the bases’ compliance with instructions made by deputy IDF chief, Maj, Gen. Amir Baram, following break-in incidents.

In October 2022, some 30,000 bullets were stolen from a base in southern Israel; and in November, over 73,000 bullets and dozens of grenades were stolen from a base in the Golan Heights.

For years, the military has struggled with thefts from its bases, both by soldiers and by criminal gangs.