Four suspects, one of them an employee of the Ministry of National Security, were arrested this morning on suspicion of running a criminal network for issuing gun licenses. It is alleged that a license to carry arms was issued to anybody who asked for one, in return for a bribe of hundreds of thousands of shekels paid to an authorized licensing official working in the firearms licensing department of the Ministry of National Security.
A few weeks ago, the Lahav 433 National Fraud Unit of the Israel Police began investigating suspicions of crimes and irregularities in the process of issuing permits by the firearms licensing department.
According to the police, in the course of the covert investigation, a network was discovered the members of which expedited the issue of licenses to hundreds of applicants, in return for bribes. Among those who obtained licenses in this way were many people who did not meet the licensing criteria.
The suspects are currently being questioned at Lahav 433’s offices, and, in accordance with the findings, will be brought before the Rishon Lezion Magistrates Court for extension of their arrest.
Last November, the "Haaretz" daily reported that the Ministry of National Security had appointed people without legal authorization to approve the issue of gun licenses, among them people close to Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir. Following the report, the police opened an investigation that uncovered the suspicions that led to today’s arrests. The investigation continues.
In a hearing in the High Court of Justice last week on the distribution of weapons, the representative of the state declared, "From the findings of the investigation to date, it emerges that thousands of gun licenses were issued during the relevant period. With due caution, we would say that initial examination indicates that most of them were issued to people who meet the criteria set down in the regulations."
Ben Gvir: Firearms licensing department doing holy work
Ben Gvir said in response to the investigation: "We congratulate the officers and investigators of the National Fraud Unit in Lahav 433 on the arrest this morning of a number of people suspected of issuing arms licenses unlawfully, in return for bribes, to people who are not entitled to a licence under the criteria.
"It is good that it is revealed that this is a matter of suspicions against a junior clerk who allegedly betrayed his duty, one of hundreds of employees of the Ministry of National Security, contrary to the false reports that all kinds of interested parties have tried to fabricate.
"Since October 7, the staff of the firearms department in the Ministry of National Security have been doing holy work for the sake of the security of Israel’s citizens, and have issued more than 150,000 licenses to entitled persons, working energetically round the clock. We shall continue with the reform that the ministry is leading, to give arms licenses to as many citizens as possible who are entitled to one."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on July 30, 2024.
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