Police: Soldier stole top military official's credit card, went on shopping spree

Military police are investigating a suspicion that an Israel Defense Forces soldier has stolen the credit card number of a senior army official, and went on a shopping spree using the stolen credit card.

A military court has placed a gag order on the name, rank and position of the senior official.

The affair began several days ago, when the military police launched an investigation following the theft of two M-16 rifles and a gun from a highly secure military base in central Israel. The military police suspect that a soldier serving at the base in an administrative position had infiltrated the base security and stole the rifles and the gun.

Later, police suspect, the soldier and his brother made contact with a third party, who lives in an Arab village in the Sharon region. The two brothers, police suspect, sold the weapons to him for NIS 20,000.

For the military police, the theft army property is a matter of routine, but this time, they were surprised to find that the soldier they suspected of stealing the weapons had in his possession the credit card number of a senior defense establishment official. The senior officer didn't even know that his credit card number had been stolen. Only after the credit card theft was uncovered by police did the culprit become aware of the crime.

The military police discovered that over recent weeks, some NIS 2,000 had been spent on the card. The card's owner said that he did not make these purchases. The suspect denied the allegations against him.

The investigation into the incident has been under a gag order since it began, but the military court released some details for publication Thursday, following a request by the Israeli website ynet.

The soldier confessed during questioning to given the stolen weapons to a resident of the Sharon region, but said he had done so due to pressure and threats. According to the suspect's lawyer, the soldier was being blackmailed and was forced to supply his blackmailers with the weapons.

The suspect's brother was also being held, and an indictment has been filed against him with the Tel Aviv District Court. The police are still searching for the alleged recipient of the weapons, even though the rifles have been recovered and returned to the IDF authorities. The gun that was stolen has not been recovered.

Police are now trying to determine whether additional soldiers have been given the stolen credit card number.