Police make arrests in gun license probe

Handguns  credit: Shutterstock
Handguns credit: Shutterstock

Four people, among them a Ministry of Internal Security employee, are suspected of obtaining licenses for all comers in exchange for bribes.

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.

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2024.

Handguns  credit: Shutterstock
Handguns credit: Shutterstock
groundcover founders credit: Yossi Yarom Israeli observability co groundcover raises $35m

groundcover has developed a “Bring Your Own Cloud” (BYOC) observability solution, redefining the architecture of a modern observability platform.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange credit: Shutterstock MagioreStock Foreign investment in TASE hits five-year high

Foreign investors have been flocking to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in recent weeks, the TASE research department tells "Globes."

Elbit Systems tank turret systems credit: Elbit Systems Elbit Systems wins $100m tank turret systems deal

The Israel defense electronics company will supply its advanced UT30 MK2 unmanned turret systems to General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) to be supplied to a NATO European country.

Tomer Weingarten Photo: PR Trump targets SentinelOne exec in act of revenge

The US administration has suspended the security clearance of the company's chef intelligence and public policy officer Chris Krebs and everyone associated with him.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange share prices rising credit: Tali Bogdanovsky TASE opens sharply higher after Trump U-turn on tariffs

The pause is being interpreted as a climb down after US President Donald Trump admitted he had made the move to calm the markets.

Ashot Ashkelon credit: Ministry of Defense Up 250%, Ashot Ashkelon wins another Defense Ministry order

The Israeli defense company's share price has risen 250% in the past three years since FIMI Opportunity Funds acquired control.

Liad Agmon credit: Eyal Izhar Insight Partners Liad Agmon steps down as managing partner

Serial entrepreneur Agmon has served as a partner at Insight Partners Israel alongside Daniel Aronovitz who set up the Israel office.

Shekels credit: Shutterstock Vladerina32 Shekel slide resumes amid escalating tariff war

The Bank of Israel is not expected to intervene in the forex market despite the sharp depreciation of the shekel.

Nir Zuk credit: Inbal Marmari Palo Alto Networks mulls buying AI security co for $700m

Sources inform "Globes" that on Palo Alto's radar is Protect AI.

President Donald Trump hosts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credit: Reuters Kevin Mohatt Israeli officials confident on US tariff concessions

Senior Israeli figures believe that concessions could be tied to progress on strategic regional political issues that are important to President Trump.

Phoenix Investment House CEO Avner Hadad  credit: Tommy Harpaz "The market has priced in all the bad things"

Phoenix Investment House CEO Avner Hadad says US markets could continue to fall, but that we are close to interesting territory for patient investors.

Tel Aviv credit: Shutterstock Tel Aviv slips in World's Wealthiest Cities ranking

Tel Aviv's position as one of the world's wealthiest cities took a big knock over the past year as it slipped from 42nd to 48th in investment advisors Henley & Co.'s "World's Wealthiest Cities" Top 50 ranking.

Leviathan platform  credit: Albatross C'ttee seen recommending no cut in gas exports

The Dayan committee on the future of the gas sector estimates that Israel's natural gas reserves will run out in 2045.

Accountant General Yali Rothenberg credit: Rafi Kutz Israel's fiscal deficit continues to narrow

The deficit narrowed in the twelve months to the end of March 2025, for the sixth consecutive month, Ministry of Finance accountant general Yali Rothenberg reported today.

Arkia credit: Arkia Arkia cuts Tel Aviv - New York April fares

Arkia has cut fares at the last minute, a time when prices usually soar even higher, according to the pricing method used in the industry.

Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron credit: Dani Shem Tov Knesset Spokesperson BoI Governor: US tariffs could push up inflation in Israel

Prof. Amir Yaron tells "Globes" that there is a risk that the new tariffs will cause inflation to rise in the US, with a knock-on effect for Israel.

Twitter Facebook Linkedin RSS Newsletters גלובס Israel Business Conference 2018