By Michael Bachner/TPS
The Israel Police cleared for publication on Monday morning that it has infiltrated criminal ranks in the Arab sector and confiscated numerous illegal weapons thanks to the use of an undercover agent for over a year. A total of 600 policemen have been conducting a widespread arrest campaign and have detained dozens of suspects in Arab towns and in Netanya since the morning.
The undercover agent operated under a fake identity for more than a year. He collected evidence on many influential criminals and documented dozens of illegal arms and drug deals.
At least 62 suspects have already been arrested within just a few hours, and more arrests are expected. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Chief of Police Roni Alsheikh awarded the publicly unidentified agent with a pistol and official certification at a private ceremony in his honor.
“I applaud the brave agent who exposed a network of illegal arms traders last night,” said Minister Erdan. “I also applaud the Israel Police forces who participated in the arrest campaign. I hope and believe that the agent who helped us and officially joined the police today [as an overt officer] will be an example to the young generation in the Arab sector, which pays a high price for the high crime rates in it.”
The agent operated in the Triangle area, a concentration of Arab towns and villages in central Israel, and in the city of Netanya. He quickly became accepted and respected among the criminals and was even called upon to mediate internal conflicts.
“I have always seen myself on the side of law enforcement, and when I was offered to be an agent, I did not think twice,” said the agent. “This mission was a challenge. The weapon issue in the Arab sector bothers the Arab community very much, a dangerous phenomenon that I know about first-hand.”
During his time undercover, the agent purchased twelve “Carlo” submachine guns, three Kalashnikov assault rifles, two home-made M16 rifles, four pistols, a stun grenade, and ammunition. He also purchased over nine kilograms of hashish, 700 grams of marijuana, and 85 grams of cocaine.