Naval Commando Guard Charged With Stealing and Selling Weapons

Sergeant Rafael Shemesh, who served in the security detail at the Shayetet 13 naval commando base, has been indicted for stealing three M-4 rifles and ammunition from the base and selling them to a civilian. The military prosecution filed the indictment Thursday, alleging Shemesh took the weapons and ammunition from a room where soldiers were sleeping on the night of September 8-9, 2026. He then allegedly drove to a convenience store in Netanya, where he met with civilians. According to the indictment, one civilian took one of the weapons and hid it in a trash can, but it was later recovered. Shemesh is accused of selling the three M-4 rifles, an advanced version of the M-16, along with magazines and ammunition, to another individual met at the convenience store. The sale reportedly took place on the Netanya promenade, with the weapons wrapped in a blanket inside Shemesh's personal duffel bag. Shemesh was arrested by the coastal district police investigators before he received payment. The weapons were later found hidden in his military duffel bag in an open area in the city. Shemesh faces charges including removing weapons from military possession, arms trafficking, illegal weapons use, and dangerous drug use. Separately, an indictment was filed against Surafel Gaton, 27, of Netanya, for allegedly mediating the arms deal.