The solution to the mystery of the murder of Kibbutz Manara\'s security officer Yitzchak Kvartach, and the accompanying theft of several dozen weapons and much ammunition, was announced today. Kvartach, whose body was found two weeks ago four kilometers from his home, served as the security coordinator the Lebanese-border Kibbutz. Police officials said that a 42-year-old Jewish contractor from the northern city of Kiryat Ata kidnapped and murdered Kvartach with one shot to the back of his head, and that seven accomplices - Israeli-Arabs from the village of Salem - stole the key to the armory, removed its 73 weapons, which they then sold to Palestinian terrorist and criminal elements, via the Palestinian Authority. Foreign currency to the tune of 600,000 shekels or dollars was found in the apartment of the alleged murderer, who was a good friend of Kvartach. The police have recovered only about 10 of the 73 stolen weapons, which included grenades and 60 M-16 rifles. The Jew and the Arabs have a criminal past, and conspired together for about a year to carry out what police officers called this \"despicable\" crime.



The police emphasized that there was no suspicion of any wrongdoing on the part of Kvartach or of any members of Kibbutz Manara.