Remand extended of cell plotting to kidnap Israelis
02/28/2013 03:33
Islamic Jihad-affiliated terrorists remanded to police custody after repeated attempts to kidnap Israelis.
Yussef Waradeh (left) and Said Gasser (right) who are suspected of plotting to kidnap a soldier. Photo: Courtesy Shin Bet
An accused Islamic Jihad-affiliated terrorist, Anas Jabareen, was remanded to
police custody until the end of the court proceedings against him for plotting
and attempting to kidnap an Israeli soldier or civilian.
Police and the
Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in January arrested a terror cell they say
repeatedly plotted and failed to kidnap an Israeli soldier or civilian to hold
for ransom.
The cell is affiliated with Islamic Jihad, national police
spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said at the time the arrest was announced in early
February, and includes two Israeli Arabs – Jabareen, from Umm el-Fahm, and
Yussef Hassan Yussef Waradeh, 34, from Kalansuwa, as well as five Palestinians
from Jenin.
Waradeh’s detention was extended until at least March 13,
when the court will hear arguments about whether he should also be remanded to
custody until the end of the proceedings.
Waradeh’s lawyer asked that the
ultimate decision on his detention be delayed until he had more time to receive
and review the relevant evidence.
In contrast, the court said there was
enough initial evidence against Jabareen and he was considered sufficiently
dangerous and/or enough of a flight risk to detain him until the end of the
proceedings.
According to the Shin Bet, the three chief suspects are
Majdie Agbariya, 19, and Tufik Hidar Tufik Agbariya, 18, both of Jenin, and
Waradeh.
Shin Bet agents and Border Police undercover officers arrested
the cell on January 1, as the suspects sat in their car near the Ayal checkpoint
in the West Bank, east of Kfar Saba.
Waradeh reportedly had a toy gun on
him, and his arrest helped lead police and the Shin Bet to the other
suspects.
The three men had been in the vehicle for a few hours, after
another failed attempt to kidnap an Israeli.
The Central District
Attorney submitted an indictment with the Lod District Court against Waradeh and
Jabareen in early February.
Waradeh was charged with membership in and
giving assistance to an illegal organization, contact with foreign agents,
conspiracy to commit a felony and attempted kidnapping for the purpose of murder
or extortion.
Jabareen was charged with assisting an illegal organization
and as an accessory to attempted kidnapping for the purpose of murder or
extortion.
The suspects from Jenin were expected to be brought up on
charges at a later date in the West Bank military courts.
The indictment
said that Waradeh was in financial distress in the second half of 2012 and
appealed to Majdie Ajabariya of the Jenin terror cell, whom he knew previously,
to assist him.
Majdie gave Waradeh NIS 10,000 and later asked Waradeh if
he would help with kidnapping an IDF soldier, said the
indictment.
Although Waradeh refused at first, noted the indictment, he
eventually agreed and met with Majdie several times, while continuing to receive
financial assistance.
At one point, Majdie threatened Waradeh at gun
point to return the money he had “loaned” him and denied planning to kidnap an
IDF soldier, only for Waradeh to volunteer to help with the kidnapping, said the
indictment.
The cell allegedly traveled around by car in the Central and
Sharon regions on December 30 and 31, looking for a victim.
They stayed
overnight at Jabareen’s house on December 30, while he had full knowledge of
their scheme, said the indictment.
According to the Shin Bet, when they
were arrested, the men said they had already spent two days trying to kidnap
Israelis from bus stations and train depots in Israel, but could not manage to
convince anyone to get in their car.
They finally came up with the idea
of trying to kidnap Israelis coming home from New Year’s Eve parties, a plan
that also failed.
The men then went to their car near the Ayal checkpoint
and had their own party until the late hours of the night, before falling asleep
with the intention of setting out from the checkpoint in the morning to once
again try to kidnap Israelis. It was then, at around 3:00 a.m., that they were
arrested, according to the indictment.
In their vehicle, police and Shin
Bet officers said they found rope, duct tape, ski masks and a toy gun, all of
which they said they hoped to use to carry out a kidnapping.
The cell had
already prepared a safe house in Jenin, where they planned to hold an Israeli
hostage until their demands were met, the Shin Bet said.
Ben Hartman
contributed to this story.