At the end of March, an amendment to the law went into effect allowing the forfeiture of property of a person convicted of weapons offenses, similar to forfeiture of drug offenses. On Wednesday, attorney Daniel Gilad of the Southern District Attorney's Office filed a request for the forfeiture of the car of the spouse of Wadi' Abu Raqaiq, suspected of smuggling weapons from Jordan. This is the first time this tool has been used.
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In August 2023, an indictment was filed against Wadi' Abu Raqaiq, 45, from Tel Sheva, and others, for smuggling into Israel from Jordan 30 pistols, 59 magazines, 28 plastic means for loading bullets, 8 grab handle inserts and 4 brushes for cleaning a gun.
At the same time, Southern District Attorney Erez Padan filed a request in which he asked to seize the BMW of Abu Raqaiq's spouse, a teacher in the Ministry of Education who was riding in a car worth hundreds of thousands of shekels, and if there is a conviction, to forfeit it.
The application states that the recently purchased vehicle is registered in the name of Balsam Amarneh, but various evidence indicates that she is Abu Raqaiq's girlfriend and that he is the one using the vehicle. In light of the above, this is the property of Abu Raqaiq or his spouse, or property whose purchase was financed by Abu Raqaiq, and therefore if he is found guilty, the vehicle must be forfeited.
Ammunition seized (illustrative), photo: IDF Spokesperson's Office
The application also states that "the state authorities are fighting resolutely against the phenomenon of illegal weapons, especially arms dealers. Forfeiture of property stemming from these offenses, when the traders' goal is an economic one, constitutes a significant tool in the war against the phenomenon, reduces the high chances of profit, increases the risk of committing offenses, and helps eradicate the phenomenon."
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