Former Israeli soccer star arrested for drug dealing

Undercover police in Tel Aviv detain Lior Asulin for alleged sale via Telegrass

By ToI Staff 9 April 2018, 11:12 am

Israeli Premier League soccer player Lior Asulin (R) being interviewed after a match in March 2015. (Screen capture: YouTube)

Police arrested Lior Asulin, a well-known former soccer player, for allegedly selling drugs.

A statement from police on Monday morning said Asulin, a resident of Rishon Lezion, was detained hours earlier on Tel Aviv’s Chaim Levanon Street.

Beginning in 1998, Asulin played for several top-flight Israeli teams, including three separate spells for Maccabi Petah Tikva.

He also joined Cyprus team Apollon Limassol for a short while. He recently ended his career playing for Hapoel Lod of the third division.

He is suspected of selling the unspecified drugs using the Telegrass channel on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.

Walla news site reported that undercover detectives recorded him selling drugs worth NIS 600 ($170) to a customer.

He was set to be brought to the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court for a remand hearing later Monday.