Border Police Officers Arrested for Alleged Car Theft and Abuse of Power

Three Border Police officers, including the son of a senior law enforcement official, were arrested on suspicion of car theft, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and abuse of power, the Police Investigations Department announced Thursday. According to the announcement, the officers noticed a parked car with keys inside during a patrol in the Jerusalem periphery. "Without any legal authority, the three drove the vehicle, causing damage to nearby cars, until they abandoned it without reporting to their superiors," the department stated. The vehicle has not yet been recovered.

Following their investigation, the three officers were released under the condition that they stay away from police facilities for 15 days. The lawyer representing one of the suspects, Itzik Cohen, stated, "During operational activity, the officer was required by his commanders to drive an abandoned vehicle and transfer it to Israeli territory, and he acted as expected of him in a hierarchical system." He added that the officer provided his full account to investigators.

In a related development, a terror cell from Nablus was indicted for allegedly planning an assassination attempt on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and a complaint was filed by an IDF officer against a brigadier general for allegedly transmitting classified information.