Palestinian arrested as police investigate crime ring operating across West Bank, stealing Israeli cars with drivers still inside. ´He asked me if I want to die´ says one victim

A 23-year-old Palestinian man was arrested Sunday night while trying to steal a car from an undercover cop near Qalqilya, police said Monday.

According to the police, the suspect was carrying a knife at the time of the arrest. He was turned over to the Shai District police for interrogation. Police added that further arrests were expected.

Over the last few weeks at least one crime ring has been operating across the West Bank, stealing Israeli cars while the drivers were still inside.

Police have said that 13 such incidents occurred in the last two weeks; some in Hebron and others in the West Bank. Among the stolen vehicles were trucks loaded with merchandise.

On Sunday, a car was stolen from a woman on Route 437 near Anatot. Police investigations reveal that a car rammed into the woman´s car from behind and after she got out, the car was stolen from her at knife point.

Last week, a woman driving near the town of Dir Balut had her car stolen and in another incident, an IDF officer had his car stolen when he stopped by the side of the road near Migdalim.

Miri Weitzman, a principal at a local girls´ school whose car was stolen a week and a half ago said that "I was coming home from work, suddenly a white car with a yellow (Israeli) license plate passed me and blocked the road. I understood something bad was happening."

´They left me wih nothing´

"It all happened within seconds. I called my husband as two young men came out, one of them broke the window next to me, the other opened the door, grabbed my phone while screaming at me with an Arab accent ´you want to die?´ and he threw me into the road," she noted.

"Then they got into my car and left me with nothing, without a car or a phone or even the ability to contact anyone." She was alone in an isolated location in the dark. "Luckily for me, my friend came by in a car and just rescued me," Weitzman added. "I just stood in the middle of the road waving my arms. Police are regarding the incidents as criminal acts. The following day I was interrogated for several hours and was told that (police) consider it as a very serious crime and it is being investigated." Aviel Magnezi contributed to this report (Copyright 2012 © Yedioth Internet 02/27/12)