Colombia extradites Israeli for drug and human trafficking
Binyamin Cohen, 35, deported to Israel to face trial; police say he led a crime organization that smuggled cocaine
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
An Israeli citizen accused of belonging to an international crime organization was captured and extradited from Colombia.
Binyamin Cohen, 35, was extradited on Sunday and will face trial in Israel on drug trafficking charges. He had been arrested in Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city, on crimes including arms trafficking, car robbery, home burglary, human trafficking and smuggling cocaine from the South American country to the Jewish state, the local news website El Caracol reported.
Local police said Cohen “has a long history of criminal acts including violence, attempted murder, burglary and theft of vehicles, in addition to drug trafficking.
“Months of investigation and monitoring enabled the arrest of the Israeli citizen who is wanted in his country,” the police added in a statement.
Cohen led an international crime organization, the statement added, which smuggled drugs by sending them by mail and in shipping containers.
In 2013, Cohen was sentenced to 392 days in prison for attempted homicide but he reportedly did not serve the term.
In November, another Israeli was expelled from Colombia for allegedly running illegal sex tourism. Assi Ben-Mosh, 43, allegedly led a network that offered trips with drugs and underage prostitutes. He is banned from returning to Colombia for 10 years.
Colombia is home to some 3,500 Jews in a population of about 49 million.
The Times of Israel Community.