On October 7, law enforcement unearthed a cache of weaponry employed by Hamas terrorists right within the Eshkol Regional Council's civilian population. The stash included an anti-aircraft missile launcher, an AK-47 rifle, and a substantial stockpile of cartridges and ammunition.
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In another instance, cops in the city of Lod discovered a DIY explosive device craftily hidden inside a drink bottle. This contraption was rigged with the trigger mechanism of a spray grenade tied to an explosive brick. They're looking into this as a possible criminal incident.
When the Israel-Hamas war first kicked off, locals in areas where terrorists showed up started picking up weapons that had been left behind in their streets, homes and urban spaces. A fair few of them realized having such items around could spell trouble, so they decided to turn them in voluntarily. On the flip side, there were also instances of crooks scooping up these weapons from public spaces in the war's early days.
Law enforcement stressed that if weapons meant for criminal use are found in their homes based on intelligence information, they will be arrested and criminal investigations will be opened. However, if citizens voluntarily hand in weapons they've found, they will not be arrested.
All the weapons found went through thorough testing and were neutralized by explosive ordinance disposal units. Once they were deemed safe, they were handed off to an investigative unit for further scrutiny. The authorities made it clear that any found weapons should be reported right away, and people shouldn’t go near them due to the risk of injury or even death from potential explosions.
In related news, this week a resident of southern Israel in his 50s was nabbed by police on suspicion of swiping a rifle from a reservist's vehicle in the Rehovot area. This arrest was the result of some investigative legwork and the use of high-tech tools. The suspect's detention has been extended until Thursday.