Police uncover weapons cache in Druze village, continue investigations

Israeli security forces discovered a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition during a raid in Yarka, a Druze village in northern Israel. The Border Police operation on Friday morning uncovered a Carlo submachine gun, numerous cartridges for various firearms including M16s and Kalashnikovs, and rifle and pistol ammunition.

A 22-year-old resident of Yarka was arrested at the scene and taken for questioning. Police are expected to seek an extension of his detention. This raid is part of a larger, ongoing effort by the Israel Police to curb crime within the Arab-Israeli population, focusing on illegal weapons and ammunition.

In unrelated incidents, Israeli police have also made other arrests. On June 17, officers in Nazareth stopped a suspicious vehicle and discovered two men who were in the country illegally. The driver, 27, and his passenger, 21, claimed to be Jerusalem residents but were identified as being from the Palestinian territories. The driver also lacked a valid license, and the vehicle had forged license plates.

Further investigation revealed the two men had prior offenses for illegal entry and using false identities. Indictments have been filed against them for illegal entry, impersonation, obstruction of justice, and driving offenses. Additionally, police filed charges against a 40-year-old resident of Umm el-Fahm for offenses including manslaughter and tampering with evidence related to a fatal hit-and-run incident on June 12.