Slap on the wrist for 3 women who tried to smuggle vast amounts of cocaine, ketamine
Judge hands down light sentences after defendants plead guilty and express regret for attempt to import contraband stuffed in shampoo bottles and video game consoles

The Lod District Court on Monday sentenced three young women for attempting to smuggle in over NIS 2 million ($550,000) worth of cocaine and ketamine from Europe.
The so-called “Pink Suitcase Affair” involves four young women — Arbel Mizrahi, 24, Idan Tsauber, 24, Orel Ben Haim, 24, and Lee Poni, 22 — who attempted to sneak some 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of contraband into Israel from Europe over the years 2022-2023.
Police arrested the women upon their return to Israel from Berlin on January 15, 2023.
After they arrived on two separate flights, customs officials at the airport searched their luggage and found large quantities of cocaine and ketamine packed into a Sony PlayStation console, shampoo bottles and Dead Sea skin care products.
The suspects initially claimed they were unaware they had drugs in their possession.
The three sentenced Monday — Mizrahi, Tsauber and Poni — received considerably lighter sentences than the prosecution had demanded, as part of a plea bargain signed last year.
Presiding Judge Merav Greenberg also took into account the defending attorneys’ assertion that their clients had expressed remorse for their actions and agreed to undergo rehabilitation and treatment.
The fourth defendant, Ben Haim, refused to agree to a rehabilitation process in her plea deal and is currently serving 34 months at the Neve Tirza women’s prison in Ramle.
Greenberg sentenced Mizrahi, who is already set to spend 11 months in prison after being thrown out of the treatment facility she enrolled in as part of her plea deal, to 22 additional months. Tsauber and Poni, meanwhile, have been sentenced to nine months in prison as well as community service, and were each fined NIS 33,000 ($9,000).
According to the indictment filed by the Central District Attorney’s Office, the women received NIS 30,000 ($8,300) for smuggling the drugs as well as another NIS 3,000 for their airfare and hotel expenses in Berlin.
The women, active drug users who spent their time at parties and clubs in the German capital, served as the final link in a larger drug trafficking ring.
The Kan public broadcaster cited an unnamed official as saying that the women had spent more than NIS 100,000 ($29,300) combined on drugs they consumed themselves.
In light of the plea deal signed last year, the updated indictment charged the three with just a single count of drug smuggling, which led to their relatively light sentencing.
The original indictment accused all four of importing drugs on multiple occasions, both from Berlin and Budapest.
Gabi Pe’er of the district attorney’s office is considering appealing the court’s decision, the Ynet news site reported.
Ash Obel contributed to this report.