Security forces bust weapon smuggling ring that stole ammo from IDF bases

In a joint operation, the military, police and Shin Bet security service arrested 21 people suspected of running a weapon smuggling ring in which ammunition and gun parts were stolen from military bases and sold on the black market, police said Monday.

The suspects included soldiers, Israeli civilians and Palestinian citizens. Some were indicted on Monday, while others were being kept in custody before being charged in the near future, police said.

The investigation — dubbed “Brothers in Arms” — was conducted by the Israel Police, Shin Bet and Military Police, with support from military prosecutors and the Southern District’s prosecutors office.

The main break in the case came on December 19, when police officers stopped a car that drove through a checkpoint from Israel into the southern West Bank and found a large amount of ammunition inside, police said.

According to police, the soldiers who were part of the ring would steal ammunition and gun parts from their bases. As they served as drivers in the IDF, they were able to easily move the stolen goods and hand them over to their co-conspirators who would then sell the bullets and weapon components to Palestinians in the West Bank.

“The investigation found that the soldiers stole large quantities of ammunition from the military and even stole working gun parts and replaced them with counterfeit components,” police said.

The soldiers involved in the ring were indicted in a military court on Monday, police said.

The civilian suspects have already been subjected to a pre-indictment hearing and would be formally charged in the coming days.