An indictment was filed with the Beersheba District Court against four suspects, including a Border Police officer, for a series of offenses related to the illegal trade of ammunition stolen from IDF and Israel Police depots by the Police Investigations Department (PID) on Tuesday.
The PID requested that the court order the detention of three of the defendants until the completion of legal proceedings against them.
According to the indictment, filed by Attorney Linor Maimon from the PID, Tal Joseph, a Border Police officer stationed at a base in the West Bank, exploited his access to weapons and stole large quantities of 5.56 mm ammunition.
He transferred the stolen ammunition to unauthorized parties for trade purposes, facilitated by his close relative, Eliraz Mashlicker. The indictment specifies three transactions in which thousands of rounds of ammunition were sold or attempted to be sold for tens of thousands of shekels.
Charges against the defendants
The charges brought against the defendants, based on their roles, include conspiracy to commit a crime, trafficking in weapons jointly, obstruction of justice, attempted trafficking in weapons jointly, theft by a public servant, illegal possession of weapons, and purchasing weapons.
Arrests and investigations
The defendants Tal Joseph, Joumaa Abu Sholdom, and Eliraz Mashlicker were arrested during the investigation. Joumaa Abu Sholdom was arrested and questioned by the Southern Unit of the Israel Police, while Tal Joseph and Eliraz Mashlicker were arrested by the southern team of the Police Investigations Department.
Their detention was periodically extended by the court, at the request of the PID, to allow for the completion of the investigation and the conduct of further investigative actions. The defendant, Mahmud Guda, was also interrogated by the southern team of the Police Investigations Department.