Stolen army property amounting to a virtual weapons arsenal valued at about $3 million was returned to the Israel Defense Force last month. The IDF had declared November a “month of grace” during which citizens could return illegally obtained equipment to military bases or police stations without questioning or risk of punishment.
According to the IDF, the grace period yielded 670 Soviet-made Kalachnikov assault rifles, a favorite weapon of the Palestine Liberation Organization and other terrorist groups, large numbers of which were captured during the war in Lebanon.
Other weapons turned in included large calibre artillery shells, Uzi submachineguns, hand grenades and thousands of army-issue sleeping bags and quilted jackets.
The military police announced that a new search for stolen army property will be undertaken this month. Police will conduct the search in various factories and will check civilians at bus stops for items “borrowed” from the IDF, a spokesman said.
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