J'lem man arrested for building four bombs

Pisgat Zev resident sold bombs for criminal purposes, police believe; served seven years in prison for similar offenses and was released.

By MELANIE LIDMAN
Police sappers inspecting trash dumpster 311 Reu (photo credit: Baz Ratner/Reuters)
Police sappers inspecting trash dumpster 311 Reu
(photo credit: Baz Ratner/Reuters)
Jerusalem police arrested a 36-year-old man who is suspected of building four explosive devices for criminal purposes, police announced on Wednesday. The man was arrested two weeks ago while driving in the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood of Jerusalem when the police found a bomb in the back of his Mazda. 
“At this point, we think it is criminal and not security-related,” said Police Supt. Asher Lizmi on Wednesday. Police believe Hanan Yadgrov, a resident of Pisgat Zev, was trying to sell the bombs. Yadgrov served seven years in prison for similar offenses and was released about a year and a half ago. As the investigation is still ongoing, police refused to say whether or not the man was working in cooperation with any known crime families.
RELATED:Police: Mobsters planned to blame bomb on far-Right Police search car of Abergil-involved lawyer after threat Palestinian carrying pipe bomb shot at Bekaot checkpoint
After conducting lab tests on the bomb captured in Yadgrov’s car, police identified three other bombs that have exploded in the past year that Yadgrov may have built. Lizmi said they identified the other bombs based on their construction and materials used, especially the type of shrapnel.
Police believe one of the bombs exploded on Derech Beit Lehem in Talpiyot in late February. The other bombs exploded on Pnina Street in northwest Jerusalem in November 2010 and one exploded in Lod in October 2010. There were no injuries reported in any of the incidents.
Following intelligence that Yadgrov was again constructing bombs, police began a weeks-long undercover investigation against him during which they observed him building sophisticated bombs in his home. On May 4, police observed Yadgrov leaving his home around 2:00 AM and arrested him with a medium-sized bomb in the back of his car in the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood. Yadgrov admitted to making the bomb and a search of his house turned up bomb-making manuals.
Yadgrov will be indicted on Thursday in the Jerusalem District Court.