A 45-year-old Tel Sheva resident was arrested this week after stealing four containers containing 104 tons of peanuts, valued at over 2 million shekels ($564,000), from a Beer Sheba factory during Operation Rising Lion. Upon completion of the investigation conducted by the Central Unit of the Southern District, an indictment and request for detention until the end of proceedings were filed against him.
The theft was carried out on June 15, during the height of the campaign against Iran in Operation Rising Lion. The suspect, along with partners whose identities are not yet known, planned the break-in in advance and prepared it meticulously – he spray-painted the security cameras, mapped the goods, and conducted surveillance in order to learn the terrain, all while using a vehicle whose identity was falsified in advance, including the license plates.
During the break-in, the suspect and his partners welded chains to the vehicle entrance gate, uprooted iron gates, and broke the building walls. They loaded four containers full of peanuts onto a truck and transferred them to Tel Sheva, a location near the suspect's home.
Central Unit forces began investigating immediately upon receiving the report of the break-in and carried out advanced and rapid investigative operations. Already on the day of the incident, investigators succeeded in locating the suspect's whereabouts and arresting him at his home, where the stolen goods were found.
Central Unit officers successfully seized the goods and returned to their owners about half of the quantity that could be traded and was not damaged in the theft. The operation is being carried out as part of the Southern District Police's increased enforcement activity against property crimes.
