A large weapons cache was discovered Sunday by Karmiel police and Border Police officers in a shack in the upper Galilee Druze village of Beit Jann. K-9 dog units were also used in the search, according to the Galilee District Police, who said the operation was part of a campaign to put a stop to illegal gunrunning in the north.
Three suspects – including an IDF soldier whose M-16 rifle was confiscated – were picked up shortly after the discovery was made. Two other men were questioned as well.
The cache contained a large number of weapons, including many that were stolen from the IDF and some of which were extremely expensive. Also discovered were four kilograms of explosive materials, IDF uniforms, protective vests, shoes, backpacks, and a Xenon spotlight used by military helicopters.
Among the weapons were two 40 mm shells, 20 M-203 launcher grenades, 10 hand grenades (used for training purposes), 100 gun cartridges, firecrackers and 17,000 rifle bullets of various sizes.
All three men are age 21, and the soldier was charged with stealing the arms from the IDF; the other two were charged as his accomplices. In addition, two residents of the village were held for questioning.
Beit Jann, a village located on one of the highest peaks in the State of Israel at 940 meters above sea level, has a population of some 9,000 and has recently been the venue for other weapons thefts as well.
According to the Galilee District Police, Karmiel police officers have arrested a number of people on weapons-related charges in the area over the past year, and police have confiscated some 1,400 illegal weapons in the same period. Two months ago, another stolen weapons cache was found in Beit Jann.