Second Major Ammo Smuggling Op Foiled in Northern Israel

Israeli police thwarted an attempt to smuggle large quantities of ammunition into Judea and Samaria, the force announced Tuesday.

It was the second such attempt in three days. The latest operation, conducted by the Central Unit of the Northern District, resulted in the arrest of a Kfar Qasim resident found to be in possession of more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition.

The suspect was apprehended near Yokneam on Monday night after police employed special means to locate her vehicle. Upon searching the trunk, officers discovered several boxes containing a large ammunition cache.

Days earlier, two men from Ma'ale Iron, a local council made up of five Arab-Israeli towns near Megiddo, were caught attempting to transport an even larger stockpile of over 20,000 bullets. Both men were in their early 20s.

These interceptions come as Israel continues to grapple with heightened security concerns during the ongoing Iron Swords War. The Northern District Police have intensified efforts to prevent the flow of illegal weapons and ammunition to hostile elements in Judea and Samaria.

A police spokesperson said Tuesday: "In an operation by the Northern District Unit, a central region resident was arrested with a shipment of thousands of ammunition rounds allegedly intended for terrorist elements in Judea and Samaria. As part of the operational preparedness to prevent the leakage of weapons, detectives and fighters of the Central Unit of the Northern District conducted a focused activity to arrest a suspect believed to possess weapons.

"Yesterday, around 22:00, the forces succeeded in locating the suspect's vehicle near Yokneam. A search of the vehicle revealed several boxes containing more than 6,000 ammunition rounds, and the suspect, a resident of Kfar Qasim, was arrested for investigation. This activity joins another operation by the Northern District Unit last Friday, during which a team was arrested with an extraordinary ammunition stockpile of over 20,000 rounds."

This JNS.org report was republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate.