One of 2 Israelis charged with murdering mob boss in Thailand said to confess

One of the two Israelis charged with murdering Netanya crime boss Maor Malul in Thailand over the weekend has reportedly confessed to the crime,

Dolev Zuaretz admitted to carrying out the attack, while Eyal Bokel confirmed only some of the details to Thai police, who arrested the pair on Sunday, Hadashot TV news reported Monday.

Police believe the suspects — also said to be gang-affiliated — flew to the island of Koh Samui on Saturday with the express purpose of murdering Malul.

Footage of the incident released Sunday showed Malul riding a motorbike with his wife sitting on the passenger seat as a vehicle crashes into them from behind. A man is then seen getting out of the car and stabbing the couple.

In addition, a Thai news report aired on Hadashot news showed local police parading the Israeli suspects in front of cameras as security officials told reporters how they managed to catch them.

Malul was transferred to a hospital in Bangkok, but resuscitation efforts failed. His wife was wounded, but no details were provided as to the extent of her injuries.

Bokel and Zuaretz are believed to have fled Koh Samui by speedboat immediately after the incident, arriving at the nearby island of Surat Thani where they boarded a plane to Bangkok.

Using CCTV footage, Thai police where able to track their movements and arrested them on their arrival in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Local security forces also managed to recover the knife used in the killing as well as a suitcase belonging to the suspects.

The two arrested men are expected to stand trial in Thailand, where murderers have in the past been handed the death penalty, though rarely.

An investigation into the incident points to an ongoing feud between crime syndicates in the coastal Sharon area of Israel.

Malul had recently been released from prison in Israel after having been convicted and sentenced to 20 months for aggravated assault. He was suspected of having tried to murder a crime boss but secured a plea deal due to problems with witnesses.

Police believed that Malul belonged to the Zuaretz gang, which has been fighting another group for hegemony in the area of coastal Netanya. Eyal Bokel is the brother of Baruch Bokel, believed to be the head of a rival crime gang in the city.

Malul’s brother Avi was shot to death at close range outside his home in 2015.