In the past year, Lahav 433's Protection Unit conducted an undercover investigation against several suspects from Hura - on suspicion of extorting protection money, stealing agricultural fuel, and money laundering, along with other suspects.
As part of the investigation, Lahav 433 established a contracting company for construction and development work, and some time later, a payment request arrived from the suspects for security fees.
Today (Monday), with the transition to the open phase of the investigation, Lahav 433 detectives, together with Border Guard National Guard fighters and Southern District police, raided 10 targets across the country and arrested suspects in extortion and owners of security companies who provided an accounting cover for the payment collected from the extorted.
During the operation, 11 suspects were arrested, luxury vehicles and a substance suspected of being a drug were seized.
At the end of their interrogation, the suspects will be brought in for further detention.
Israel Hazan, the unit's commander, said: "This is an undercover investigation that has been going on for nearly a year. These are family members from the settlement of Hora in the Negev who joined well-known security companies that are not affiliated with the sector, and collected sponsorship fees from contractors and contracting companies in the Rishon LeZion area, including the Shafdan project (the Gush Dan Wastewater Treatment Institute).
""The method was that as soon as the contractor arrives at the site, brings his tools and equipment, he receives calls from the suspects who explain to him that they are responsible for guarding the area, and that they have to pay for the guarding - and whoever does not pay will have the equipment damaged.".
Payment was made monthly at a certain rate ranging from 8,000 shekels to 10,0000 shekels per site.
""In practice, there is no keeper, the company would provide an invoice to that contractor. Lahav 433 operated a business for nearly a year that pretended to be a legitimate contracting business. The suspects contacted that business, demanded the sponsorship fee, and that's how the evidence in the case accumulated.
""We conducted searches. Several luxury vehicles and documents that are relevant to the investigation were towed. Dozens of contracting companies were extorted. The Shafdan itself did not pay money. These are companies that are involved in construction at the Shafdan and the Alef complex in Rishon LeZion. These are four different security companies through which they collected the payment.".
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