Caught in a tree: head of agricultural theft ring arrested after 4 km chase
Three residents of Surif were arrested as part of the "Green Field" operation, launched following a series of thefts in the Mateh Yehuda region. During the operation, the ringleader attempted to flee on foot. A vehicle with fake license plates, suspected of being used in the thefts, was seized.
Magav (Border Police) officers have arrested three suspects in connection with a series of agricultural thefts in the Mateh Yehuda region, including the suspected ringleader. According to police, the suspect attempted to evade security forces for four kilometers before being discovered hiding in a tree. A vehicle bearing fake license plates, believed to have been used to carry out the thefts, was also seized.
For the past month, the Mateh Yehuda station of the Jerusalem Magav had been conducting a covert investigation codenamed "Green Field," following multiple reports of agricultural theft in the area.
Last Wednesday, detectives from the Mateh Yehuda station, supported by Magav Judea and Samaria units, arrested a suspect in his 30s at his home in the village of Surif. Police stated that evidence gathered during the investigation links him to the agricultural thefts.
The following day, intelligence indicated that the suspected ringleader was within Israeli territory. Jerusalem Magav forces, working in cooperation with Southern National Guard units and the police aerial division, mobilized to apprehend the remaining suspects.
During the operation, one suspect was arrested, while the suspected ringleader attempted to flee on foot. Security forces pursued him for approximately four kilometers, ultimately locating him hiding in a tree and taking him into custody.
In total, three suspects—residents of Surif in their 30s and 40s—were arrested. The vehicle with fake plates was confiscated and transferred to the Mateh Yehuda station of the Jerusalem Magav for further investigation.
