Three Palestinian suspects who stole property from a business in Rishon L’Tzion extorted the owner of the property with whom they met Wednesday night to return his property for a fee. In a planned operation of Border Police with Israel Police, the suspects were arrested during the meeting.

A border police officer who operated at the Hizme Crossing at the Jerusalem border saw an Israeli vehicle driving towards Jerusalem with two civilians inside. An alert border policemen identified the two as anxious and frightened and he began to question them. The Israelis told the soldier that Palestinians who worked for them in the construction business in Rishon L’Tzion area stole personal equipment, computers and memory drives with materials of the business and personal materials.

The Israelis who were interviewed at the crossing returned from a meeting with the suspects, during which they paid NIS 10,000 in return for a laptop stolen from them. Apparently, the suspects demanded additional money to return the rest of the property.

The soldier asked the Israelis to contact the suspects again so that they would meet again with the other equipment that was allegedly stolen in return for an additional payment, while summoning additional border police troops to the area.

They also told the soldier that after the theft, a campaign of blackmail began, according to suspicions, the Palestinians contacted them and asked them for thousands of shekels for every detail stolen from them.

The three Palestinian suspects accepted their request and again agreed to meet them at a meeting point near the Hizme Crossing in order to receive a sum of money in return for the stolen equipment.

Border Police forces were waiting for the Palestinian vehicle and when they identified it about 100 meters from the crossing, they surrounded the vehicle and arrested the suspects. In search of a vehicle with three suspects, all the items stolen from the Israelis were found.

In addition, it was learned their permits to be inside Green Line Israel were forged.

The suspects range in age from 30s to 40s, all residents of Shechem, have all been brought in for questioning by police.

The Border Police spokesman’s report adds that it was the alertness of a single border policeman that led to the apprehension of the suspects who appear involved in a serious blackmail operation.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)