Yis"m raid finds stolen car, photos of unit on suspect's phone

Israel Police arrested a 28-year-old Palestinian resident of Yatta, near Chevron, on Monday morning in a targeted operation by the Yis"m Chetz Yehuda unit and Judea and Samaria District forces, as part of the nationwide "Stopping in Red" operation.

The operation is designed to end the phenomenon of criminals seeking refuge in Judea and Samaria after committing crimes elsewhere in the country. Since the start of the year, it has resulted in the arrest of some 600 suspects, including more than 80 serial evaders attempting to avoid serving prison sentences handed down by the courts.

The arrest was made possible through intensive intelligence work and precise direction by the intelligence coordinator of the Yis"m Chetz Yehuda unit, in close cooperation with the Judea and Samaria District's operational command centre, police said.

Following information gathered in recent days identifying the man as wanted for urgent questioning on suspicion of involvement in a series of serious crimes, including extortion and arson incidents that occurred recently in the north of the country, fighters raided his home in Yatta in a surprise operation.

During a thorough search of the property, officers uncovered additional incriminating evidence that immediately strengthened the suspicions against him. In the courtyard, police located a private vehicle, a Picanto, which a quick database check revealed had been stolen shortly before from Gush Dan.

Beyond the operational haul and the theft recovered on site, the biggest surprise awaited the fighters inside the suspect's mobile phone, which was seized at the scene. A digital examination of the phone's contents left officers stunned: they found documentation of the unit's own fighters from a previous arrest operation carried out in the sector, alongside clear images of weapons, findings that indicate a high level of involvement and apparent surveillance of security forces' activity.

Upon completion of the operational activity in the field, the suspect was transferred for initial questioning at Chevron police station in the Judea sector. He is expected to be transferred for further intensive questioning by investigative units in the north, in accordance with the open files and the serious suspicions attributed to him.