Thousands of bullets, a MAG heavy machine gun, and additional automatic weapons have been recovered
By Hezy Laing
The Southern District Attorney’s Office has filed serious charges against three Bedouin residents of Bir Hadaj, a town in the Negev, for their alleged participation in widespread thefts of weapons and ammunition from the Israel Defense Forces.
The indictment indicates that some of these acts took place at the peak of the “Iron Swords” war, near the Gaza border, compromising military operations.
The suspects—Nasim Suarka, Wael Al-Hatrasa, and Jumaa Azazma—were apprehended in recent weeks.
Their arrests led to the exposure of a far-reaching weapons theft ring reportedly involving tens of thousands of ammunition rounds, bullets, and various firearms.
The investigation uncovered that the trio repeatedly infiltrated IDF firing ranges without permission and made off with military equipment.
A particularly brazen theft allegedly occurred in December 2023, when Suarka and Azazma stole large quantities of munitions from a military transport en route to deployment zones near Gaza.
In a motion to keep the suspects detained through the trial, prosecutor Assaf Bar Yosef told the Be’er Sheva District Court that the trio’s actions demonstrated extraordinary boldness, remarking that it “cannot be overstated.”
He added, “the defendants stole weapons from IDF vehicles while they were moving, while soldiers were inside them, from a shooting range, and even from under the head of a soldier who was sleeping on the weapons. It is evident that the defendants have no fear of justice.”
Thousands of bullets, a MAG machine gun, and additional weapons have been recovered and handed over to Israeli security forces.
The indictments accuse the defendants of serious security violations, including unauthorized entry into military zones and multiple weapons-related offenses.
Security officials see this case as a major breakthrough in stopping a theft network that posed a danger to national defense.
Both the Shin Bet and Israeli police noted that over the past two years, efforts to combat arms theft from IDF facilities have intensified, driven by concerns that stolen gear might reach terrorist groups and be used in attacks on troops and civilians.
In a joint statement, authorities emphasized: “The Israel Police and the General Security Service view with great seriousness the involvement of Israeli citizens in the theft of weapons from the IDF, which endangers the security of the state, especially in times of war, and will continue to act to thwart and bring those involved to justice to the fullest extent of the law.”
