Shin Bet, police foil attempt to move hundreds of M16 magazines into West Bank, arrest 3

The Shin Bet and Israel Police say they have arrested two Israeli citizens from Lod and a Palestinian from the West Bank over an alleged attempt to smuggle weapon parts to terror operatives.

In a joint statement, the agencies say the Israeli suspects, Hamdan Issam Hamdan Abu Labdeh and Mohammad Hassan Khalil Amsa’ed, both 25, were detained in recent weeks along with Ahmad Mohammad Saleh Awad, a 33-year-old Palestinian from the Nablus area, whom investigators believe was the intended recipient of the weapons components.

According to the security forces, the case came to light after Amsa’ed was caught attempting to enter the West Bank while carrying more than 500 M16 magazines. The agencies say the equipment was meant to be delivered to Awad, who is in contact with terror operatives in the West Bank and was helping them acquire weapons.

Security officials warn that smuggling weapons or weapon parts into the West Bank poses a direct threat, as they could end up in the hands of terrorist groups.

Prosecutors are expected to file indictments against the two Israeli suspects, while the Palestinian suspect’s case is being handled by the military prosecution.