Israeli security forces carried out two successful overnight operations against vehicle theft, arresting suspects in separate incidents in the Chevron Hills and near the Chareidi city of Modi’in Illit. The operations led to the recovery of stolen vehicles and the capture of suspects allegedly caught in the act.

In the first operation, officers from the Judea and Samaria District’s Yehuda Arrow Unit, together with special YASAM police forces, raided several homes Thursday morning in the Palestinian town of Yatta after receiving intelligence indicating that stolen Israeli vehicles were being hidden there.

During the raid, one suspect attempted to conceal evidence after realizing police had arrived at his home. According to authorities, he threw the keys to a stolen vehicle out of his bedroom window in an apparent attempt to prevent officers from locating and seizing the car.

The effort failed, however, as officers quickly recovered the discarded keys from the yard, arrested the suspect, and confiscated the stolen vehicle.

As the searches continued, police discovered two additional stolen vehicles—a Mazda and a Geely electric car—that had been stolen in recent years from central Israel and transferred into Palestinian Authority-controlled territory.

The Geely electric vehicle immediately drew investigators’ attention because it was connected to an improvised charging station. Officers also found that it was missing its rear license plate and displayed a counterfeit front plate that did not match the vehicle’s registration.

Two Yatta residents, both in their 30s, were arrested on suspicion of possessing the stolen vehicles and were transferred to the Hebron police station for further questioning.

Law enforcement officials say Yatta has long been considered a major destination for vehicles stolen inside Israel, where many are dismantled for parts or resold using forged registration plates, making enforcement efforts in the area particularly complex and dangerous.

The Yatta operation followed another successful police action only hours earlier in the Binyamin region near Modi’in Illit.

According to police, intelligence received by the Modi’in Illit police station indicated that a group of suspects intended to steal back a vehicle that had been confiscated by authorities earlier that evening.

The vehicle had been seized after allegedly being used to transport illegal Palestinian residents into Israel, an offense that routinely results in vehicle confiscation as part of efforts to deter the practice.

Unaware that police and IDF forces had already established an ambush based on the intelligence, the suspects arrived at the location intending to break in and recover the impounded vehicle.

Instead, the combined security force caught the suspects in the act and arrested them before they were able to carry out the theft.

The two suspects, residents of Ramla and Lod in their 20s, were taken into custody and transported for questioning before being jailed.

Police said the suspects will be brought before a court to seek an extension of their detention as the investigation continues and prosecutors prepare possible indictments.

Authorities said the operations underscore the close cooperation between Israel Police, intelligence units, YASAM officers, and IDF forces in combating vehicle theft and related criminal activity throughout Judea and Samaria.

{Matzav.com}