Israeli detained in Mexico claims he was falsely accused or murder
Yaniv Atias from Playa del Carmen, near Cancun was detained with a friend for a drug offense and as he was about to be released, police accused him of killing a drugs dealer.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFUpdated: JULY 5, 2021 15:50Seaweed is seen on a beach in Cancun(photo credit: REUTERS)
An Israeli man living in Mexico says he was arrested and thrown in jail for a crime he claims he did not commit and says he was being held because he did not pay police officers a bribe, Mako reported on Monday. About two months ago, Yaniv Atias, 28, and a friend were arrested by Mexican authorities for allegedly carrying 20 grams of cocaine. Atias said the police never showed him the drugs they alleged he was carrying, according to Mako. The two Israelis spent two nights in jail before they were about to be released but then officers came to their cell and claimed that Atias had killed a drug dealer from one of the country's largest cartels. Atias said he was nowhere near the scene of the crime, according to Mako."I'm under arrest just because I did not pay the officers a $100,000 bribe," the Jerusalem native told Mako. "I have nothing to do with any murder, and I was not in the area where they say I was.Atias was arrested near Playa del Carmen, a popular spot for Israelis. He told Mako he was involved in the tourism industry and had run a restaurant, a car rental businesses and other tourism enterprises in the area. Israel's embassy in Mexico has been in contact with Atias but have told him they have little power to intervene in legal proceedings in a foreign country, Mako reported.
