The police launched a hunt last night for a tank that was stolen from a training base near the Elyakim Junction. During the night, a complaint was received from the Ministry of Defense regarding the theft of the tank, and the police went out for searches and investigations.
Upon receiving the report, Coastal District police officers began conducting searches, and within a short time, officers from the Nesher station located the tank in a junkyard area in the Nesher region, north of Haifa.
However, from the initial investigation into the circumstances of the case, there is suspicion that the tank is not operational, and it was stolen from the location for reasons currently under investigation. As mentioned, with the discovery of the stolen tank, a report was sent to the Ministry of Defense, and the police have initiated a joint investigation with the Military Police.
From the Ministry of Defense and the IDF, it was reported: "Following information received last night at the Ministry of Defense about a stolen tank, the Director of Security of the Defense Establishment, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Advocate General, initiated an investigation. The tank was located in a scrap metal collection yard in the city of Nesher. It is a hull of a Merkava 2 tank that was retired from service many years ago. The tank lacks ammunition and its systems are not operational. The tank was located in an open area accessible to tourists and served as a stationary vehicle for military training exercises.
"The tank has been returned to the security system. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and a command investigation will also take place."