A 29-year-old Rahat resident who recently completed his medical exams has been indicted after allegedly fleeing police on Route 77 in northern Israel and ramming a police vehicle.
An M16 rifle was also recovered during the investigation. Police said the weapon matched additional components found inside the defendant’s vehicle.
The incident took place on the evening of August 10, when Northern District police were operating on Route 77 near the Beit Rimon Interchange. Officers signaled the vehicle to pull over for a traffic violation, according to police.
Instead, the driver allegedly accelerated away, triggering a pursuit that continued for several kilometers. During the chase, officers fired precise shots at the vehicle’s tires. The suspect was eventually stopped after crashing into a police vehicle blocking his escape.
During the pursuit, officers noticed a bag being thrown from the vehicle. Police later recovered the bag and found various weapons and military equipment inside. Additional findings were discovered in the suspect’s vehicle.
Shortly afterward, police received a report from a woman who had been driving on the road and said she had run over a bag. When she arrived home, she noticed the bag had become lodged underneath her vehicle and was being dragged along the road. She alerted police.
Officers who arrived at her home examined the bag and found an M16 rifle inside. Police said the weapon matched additional parts found in the defendant’s vehicle.
The suspect was arrested and questioned by Northern District police. Following the investigation, prosecutors filed an indictment and requested that he be held in custody until the conclusion of the proceedings.
Police said that since the beginning of the year, Northern District officers and Border Police personnel have seized more than 610 lethal weapons in the district as part of efforts to combat illegal weapons trafficking and possession.
Authorities said operations to locate and seize illegal weapons will continue.