The Israel Police invests staggering resources in fighting the crime running rampant in the Arab sector, Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai revealed on Tuesday.
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"The Israel Police cannot be everywhere at any given time, but we know how to deal with crime waves and send the perpetrators to jail, and we will continue to do so," he said during a conference of mayors in northern Israel.
The government has been increasing its efforts to curb the spike in gun violence in the Arab Israeli community, which has so far claimed 106 victims.
In October, Public Security Minister Omer Barlev announced that an additional 1,100 police officers will be recruited for the purpose of quelling community crime, fueled mostly by gang violence and organized crime. Later that month, the cabinet approved legislation seeking to expand the power of the Israel Police to operate in the Arab sector as part of the fight against crime.
The police commissioner noted that "Almost 90% of the Israel Police's resources are directed to the Arab sector. This pressure [on criminal elements] is not going to stop. It will only grow stronger until we complete our task."
Shabtai noted that he has ordered the Lahav 433 Major Crimes Unit to join the efforts waged by the police special units, and urged the courts and the State Attorney's Office to take a stricter approach.
Earlier Tuesday, the police announced that a two-year undercover operation has resulted in the arrest of some of the most high-profile gun smugglers and illegal weapons dealers in Israel.
Sixty-five suspects were arrested in raids on 25 localities across Israel, breaking up a massive gun-running network.
The police chief noted that "2021 has been a records year in terms of the number of weapons seized."
Northern District Police Commander Shimon Lavi told conference-goers that "20% of the weapons seized were stolen from IDF bases, and the rest came from the [Palestinian] territories, Jordan and Iraq.
"This morning, dozens of gunrunners were made to realize that they've made their last deal."
Detailing police activities to fight crime in the Arab sector, Shabtai said that over the past year, the police have been able to prevent 150 murders in the Arab community.
He also said that 15 undercover agents were able to infiltrate criminal organizations, and over 520 suspects were arrested.
Mach of the efforts was turned to financial criminal activity, which fuels organized crime, he said, and the police seized 800 million shekels ($258 million) in assets and property.
"If anything, these figures reflect how focused the police are on ridding the sector of illegal weapons," a senior police officer told Israel Hayom on Monday.
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