Criminal attack thwarted in the north: five suspects arrested, pistol and M16 rifle seized

Five suspects were arrested early this morning in Bir al-Maksur on suspicion of planning to commit a crime as part of a conflict. In a raid by northern district police and Border Police fighters, a loaded pistol, an M16 rifle, ammunition, magazines, and gloves were seized. Since the beginning of the year, more than 530 lethal weapons have been seized in the district.

Five suspects were arrested this morning (Sunday) in the town of Bir al-Maksur, after northern district police and Border Police fighters raided a building where a loaded pistol, an M16 rifle, ammunition, additional magazines, and gloves were found. According to suspicion, the five planned to commit a crime as part of a conflict. They were transferred for questioning at the police station, and at its conclusion a decision will be made whether to request an extension of their detention. Since the beginning of the year, more than 530 lethal weapons have been seized in the northern district, and as part of the fight against violent crime, armed individuals have also been arrested while committing offenses. The police emphasize that forces continue to operate to locate illegal weapons, arrest suspects, and bring those involved to justice. The Israel Police stated that it will "continue to act decisively to deal with violent incidents and locate illegal weapons for the sake of public safety and bringing criminals to justice." The incident joins a series of weapon seizures recently carried out by the police in the northern district as part of the fight against violent crime. In recent months, a network for trading weapons was exposed in Kafr Kanna, in which indictments were filed against 11 defendants, and in another case, an unusual cache of weapons was found in Rosh Pina, including shoulder-launched missiles, explosives, a Negev machine gun, and grenades.