Crime boss arrested at airport upon returning to Israel

Alleged head of criminal organization, who has previously been investigated, detained by police after spending years overseas

By ToI Staff 10 August 2022, 11:38 am Edit

Illustrative. A criminal in handcuffs. (Yakobchuk Olena/ iStock, by Getty Images)

Israeli police on Wednesday arrested the alleged head of a criminal organization upon his return to the country.

The suspect, 45, was detained upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport after spending years overseas. It was not immediately clear why he returned to Israel.

He was due to be questioned before appearing at court for a remand hearing later in the day.

The suspect, whose name was barred from publication under a gag order, has previously been questioned by police as part of an operation launched in 2017.

Media reports described him as a “very senior” crime boss from the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

Law enforcement has moved to crack down on organized crime activity across the country, including several attempted hits earlier this year by rival organizations that targeted relatives of crime bosses.