RELATED:Police arrest leading members of Bar-Moha crime ring Mafioso nabbed for employing illegal Palestinian workers Additional suspects belong to the Jaljulya-based Hariri crime organization, who allegedly were used as additional muscle by Hamad’s Jaffa-based organization, a law enforcement source said.Police believe the suspects targeted businessmen they considered wealthy and demanded they pay back loans that the victims had never taken out. On other occasions, police say, the suspects took over debts on the gray market, extorted businesses, ran illegal casinos, and used extreme violence to get victims to make payments far higher than the original debts.During the ring’s years of operation, police added, explosives were planted in vehicles and used in other attacks, and four attempted homicides occurred. Hundreds of cases of aggravated extortion and threats, assault and damage of property through the use of explosives and arson, along with kidnapping, and other offenses are attributed by police to the suspects.In one instance, events hall managers were allegedly told they “owed a debt.” When they protested, telling suspects that they did not take out a loan, they were allegedly told in response, “You did now.”One businessman, who was “invited” to Jaffa and faced an alleged aggravated extortion attempt at gunpoint, told the suspects that they could kill him, but that he would not pay them a thing. The businessman was not harassed after that.Police suspect members of Hamad’s organization of attempting to murder a longstanding underworld rival in Jaffa and sending armed men to scope out the would-be target.One known criminal who became involved in the ring was allegedly targeted for assassination after failing to make good profits on gray market loans and misspeaking. He, too, was allegedly followed by armed individuals planning to kill him. Police thwarted the planned homicide.Two state’s witnesses were recruited by police from within the ranks of the organizations.One of the witnesses was the No. 2 individual in a racketeering ring.The arrests resulted in a “dramatic change” in the underworld scene, one law enforcement source said.“I can’t remember such a high-ranking figure turning state’s witness,” the source said.“The entire crime world is shocked and does not know who to trust after this.”One of those allegedly targeted by the ring was Hapoel Tel Aviv player Omri Canada, who paid the suspects NIS 67,000 for a smaller debt he built up while gambling at a casino.The investigation began when a grenade was thrown at a home in Yehud last year.The inquiry turned into a major undercover investigation run by the central unit of the Tel Aviv Police.“they operated as a hierarchical organized crime unit with defined roles, including a leader, funds people, operational people, weapons storage people, and others. many offenses were carried out by the suspects,” police said.“Over the past two years...the suspects terrorized residents of Tel Aviv,” said Asst.-Cmdr.Shlomi Michael, head of the Tel Aviv Central Unit during a press conference.“We can attribute serious offenses to all of the suspects.Aggravated assault, vehicle arson, use of firearms including explosives, attempted murders, the placing of a bomb in a woman’s car. When it exploded, her young daughter was inside,” Michael said.“Thankfully, we managed to prevent a number of murders and seize an explosive.There will be additional arrests,” he said.
'Ultra violent racketeering' crime ring smashed by police
Police say suspects planted explosives, extorted famous soccer player; police source:state witnesses caused crisis of confidence in underworld.
![crime scene (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [illustrative])](https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/q_auto/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/146851 "crime scene")
RELATED:Police arrest leading members of Bar-Moha crime ring Mafioso nabbed for employing illegal Palestinian workers Additional suspects belong to the Jaljulya-based Hariri crime organization, who allegedly were used as additional muscle by Hamad’s Jaffa-based organization, a law enforcement source said.Police believe the suspects targeted businessmen they considered wealthy and demanded they pay back loans that the victims had never taken out. On other occasions, police say, the suspects took over debts on the gray market, extorted businesses, ran illegal casinos, and used extreme violence to get victims to make payments far higher than the original debts.During the ring’s years of operation, police added, explosives were planted in vehicles and used in other attacks, and four attempted homicides occurred. Hundreds of cases of aggravated extortion and threats, assault and damage of property through the use of explosives and arson, along with kidnapping, and other offenses are attributed by police to the suspects.In one instance, events hall managers were allegedly told they “owed a debt.” When they protested, telling suspects that they did not take out a loan, they were allegedly told in response, “You did now.”One businessman, who was “invited” to Jaffa and faced an alleged aggravated extortion attempt at gunpoint, told the suspects that they could kill him, but that he would not pay them a thing. The businessman was not harassed after that.Police suspect members of Hamad’s organization of attempting to murder a longstanding underworld rival in Jaffa and sending armed men to scope out the would-be target.One known criminal who became involved in the ring was allegedly targeted for assassination after failing to make good profits on gray market loans and misspeaking. He, too, was allegedly followed by armed individuals planning to kill him. Police thwarted the planned homicide.Two state’s witnesses were recruited by police from within the ranks of the organizations.One of the witnesses was the No. 2 individual in a racketeering ring.The arrests resulted in a “dramatic change” in the underworld scene, one law enforcement source said.“I can’t remember such a high-ranking figure turning state’s witness,” the source said.“The entire crime world is shocked and does not know who to trust after this.”One of those allegedly targeted by the ring was Hapoel Tel Aviv player Omri Canada, who paid the suspects NIS 67,000 for a smaller debt he built up while gambling at a casino.The investigation began when a grenade was thrown at a home in Yehud last year.The inquiry turned into a major undercover investigation run by the central unit of the Tel Aviv Police.“they operated as a hierarchical organized crime unit with defined roles, including a leader, funds people, operational people, weapons storage people, and others. many offenses were carried out by the suspects,” police said.“Over the past two years...the suspects terrorized residents of Tel Aviv,” said Asst.-Cmdr.Shlomi Michael, head of the Tel Aviv Central Unit during a press conference.“We can attribute serious offenses to all of the suspects.Aggravated assault, vehicle arson, use of firearms including explosives, attempted murders, the placing of a bomb in a woman’s car. When it exploded, her young daughter was inside,” Michael said.“Thankfully, we managed to prevent a number of murders and seize an explosive.There will be additional arrests,” he said.