An undercover police officer operating in the Arab town of Kafr Qassem in the center of Israel in recent months was successful in exposing 30 weapons dealers, who were arrested in a massive operation Tuesday morning.
The police stated that “agent 220,” who was operated “with great sophistication in the police mission for public peace and security,” brought to the arrest of 30 Arab suspects implicated in arms and drug trafficking offenses, and the seizure of dozens of illegal weapons.
Dozens of detectives and Border Police troops raided Kafr Qassem early Tuesday morning and arrested the suspects, who were brought for questioning at the offices of the Central District Central Unit.
The Arab sector has been suffering from a wave of crime in violence in recent years. Arab-Israeli society is plagued with daily incidents of violence. Over 110 Arabs were killed in criminal violence in 2020 and some 130 were murdered in 2021.
The police increased its activity against the plague of shootings and weapons offenses in recent years, and in 2020 arrested 5,713 suspects in shootings and other weapons crimes throughout the country, an increase of 22% compared to 2019.
The vast majority of police activity was carried out in the Arab sector, and about 90% of the suspects arrested for shooting and weapons offenses were Arab Israelis.
Approximately 85% of the indictments filed in Israel in 2020 for shooting, illegal possession of weapons, trafficking, and illegal use of weapons have been filed against suspects from the Arab society.