Thailand arrests 2 Israelis for murder of Israeli mafia boss

Two Israelis were arrested Sunday by Thai authorities on suspicion they murdered Israeli mafia boss Maor Malul over the weekend.

Police believe the suspects, Eyal Bokel and Dolev Zuaretz gang, flew to the island of Koh Samui on Saturday with the express purpose of murdering Malul.

Malul, 33, was riding a motorbike with his wife sitting on the passenger seat when a vehicle crashed into them from behind, according to a Thai ministry statement Saturday. A man then got out of the car and started stabbing the couple.

Malul was transferred to a hospital in Bangkok, but resuscitation efforts failed. His wife was injured, 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.

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

The two arrested men are expected to stand trial in Thailand.

An investigation into the incident points to an ongoing feud between mafia families 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.