Two girls who were kidnapped from a train by their father were returned to their home following a cross-continental operation conducted by the Southern Negev Region Police.
The dramatic story began about a month ago, when the mother filed a complaint at the Beersheba police station against the girls' father for violating visitation arrangements. She told investigators that the father had not returned the girls - aged 3 and 5 - home as required. On the day the complaint was filed, investigators at the Beersheba police station made attempts to locate the husband and carried out urgent investigative actions, including a conversation with the relevant authorities at Ben Gurion Airport.
It quickly became clear that the father had kidnapped his daughters, issued them passports, and left the country with them. He flew to Greece, then to Turkey and Russia, until he reached his final destination – Thailand. At this point, it was decided in the Southern District to establish a special investigation team, accompanied by the State Attorney's Office, national units, and Interpol of the Investigations and Intelligence Division.
During the investigation, it emerged that the suspect's family members allegedly assisted him in the kidnapping. The investigation material indicates that they exerted pressure on the mother to issue a signed letter in which she allegedly confirms that the father took the girls with her consent.
As time passed, the father's mental state deteriorated. At the same time, news began to arrive that the father's financial situation was deteriorating and that he intended to run away with the girls to Vietnam - and real concerns arose for the girls' well-being.
In an assessment of the situation carried out by the Southern District Police with all the parties involved, it was decided to issue an international arrest warrant against the suspect. Since there are no extradition agreements with Thailand and they are also not signatories to the Hague Convention, it was decided to involve the Israel Police representative in Thailand - and then the idea came up to carry out a simulated interrogation exercise in Thailand, which required the mother to be flown to Thailand quickly, leaving a short window of time of a few hours, in which the father suspected of kidnapping was not with his daughters.
The investigators learned that the father usually visits the Chabad house in Bangkok with his daughters on Fridays, so in a quick arrangement, it was decided to fly the mother to Thailand on Thursday and carry out the arrest on Friday, the 8th of Sivan. Indeed, the local authorities arrested the father on Friday for illegal stay - and he was released after a few hours, with a commitment to leave Thailand by next Monday.
What the father didn't know was that during the hours he spent 'investigating', the mother and daughters were already on a plane back to Israel.
Southern District Commander, Chief Yoram Halevi: "This case has all the elements of a suspense drama, but it is a true incident in which there was a real danger to the lives of two girls who were kidnapped by their father abroad. The Beersheba station, in conjunction with the Attorney General's Office, district units, and the Investigations and Intelligence Division, worked sensitively and professionally until they were able to bring the girls home safe and sound. The integration of the arms of all the bodies in operational and investigative activity across countries and continents was a model and exemplary example in everything related to teamwork, and professional and responsible conduct of all the bodies whose well-being and safety of the little girls was before their eyes.".
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