Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TELAVIV5575
2005-09-09 13:35:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
ORGANIZED CRIME AND NARCOTICS TRADE IN ISRAEL
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 005575
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR PREL PTER EFIN ISRAELI SOCIETY GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE
SUBJECT: ORGANIZED CRIME AND NARCOTICS TRADE IN ISRAEL
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 005575
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR PREL PTER EFIN ISRAELI SOCIETY GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE
SUBJECT: ORGANIZED CRIME AND NARCOTICS TRADE IN ISRAEL
1. (U) SUMMARY: According to an Israeli law enforcement
official, all categories of criminal activity are on the
rise. The illegal drug trade, organized crime, murder, and
extortion present major challenges to the Israeli police.
While countries in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and South
America provide a springboard for criminal elements to move
illegal drugs into Israel, the trans-border Bedouin
cooperation causes serious concern. The official remarked on
the unusual nature of Arab-Jewish cooperation in illegal
activities such as drug and weapons smuggling and the
trafficking of women. END SUMMARY.
--------------
INP Organization and Mission
--------------
2. (U) On September 1, Chief Superintendent Chaim Eliyahu of
the Israel National Police's (INP's) Drug and Organized Crime
Unit gave a presentation to embassy officials on his unit's
organization and mission. Eliyahu said the INP falls under
one command and is divided into six districts: Tel Aviv,
Jerusalem, southern, northern, central, and West Bank, which
falls under joint-jurisdiction with the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF). He said each district has a different mission, noting
that police officials in Jerusalem focus on crimes related to
religious extremism, while those in Tel Aviv focus on other
criminal activities like larceny, murder, illegal drugs and
organized crime.
3. (U) Eliyahu said different waves of immigrants to Israel
have brought with them criminal elements, such as immigrants
from the former Soviet Union who commit crimes not seen in
the past. He said that violent crimes and alcohol-related
crimes, once negligible in number, are now becoming
prevalent. He also discussed money laundering and the new
laws in this area that have helped Israel prosecute many
offenders. He explained that in the past an individual could
deposit or invest a considerable amount of money without
being investigated; such transactions are now closely
scrutinized by the GOI.
-------------- --------------
Eliyahu: Drugs Flow From the Land the Sea and the Air
-------------- --------------
4. (U) Eliyahu said that the porous borders with Egypt,
Jordan, Lebanon and Syria allow for the easy flow of hashish,
marijuana, cocaine, and heroin into Israel. One kilogram of
marijuana sells for NIS 1,000 (USD 222) in the vicinity of
the border regions, while the same amount would cost 3,000 to
5,000 NIS (USD 666 to 1111) in Tel Aviv. He stated that the
police seize 15 tons of illegal drugs a year, which is only
about five percent of all illegal drugs that enter Israel.
(Note: On August 29 at the Jordanian border, police
confiscated 30 kilograms of pure heroin - about 300,000 doses
- with an estimated worth of NIS 3.5 million. The report
indicates that police believe Bedouin and Jewish residents of
the Negev were involved. End Note.)
5. (U) Eliyahu further said that the smuggling of
amphetamines and ecstasy from Europe via the nation's
airports and sea terminals poses a serious problem. As an
example, he cited the July 7 arrest by Jerusalem police of
seven members of an ecstasy ring involved in smuggling 90,000
pills from Europe worth millions of shekels.
--------------
Criminal Cooperation
--------------
6. (U) Eliyahu said Arab and Jewish criminal networks in
Israel work efficiently across language, religious, cultural,
and physical barriers. He stated that drug smugglers take
advantage of the ease with which Israeli-Bedouin communicate
with Bedouin tribes in Egypt. In addition, Arabs living in
Israel often have family in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt,
and other Arab countries, and those involved in illegal
activities use these ties to traffic women, drugs and weapons.
--------------
Turf Wars
--------------
7. (U) Eliyahu said that gun battles between crime families
continue and have intensified over the years. He added that
crime families do not abide by any "code of honor" when it
comes to dealing with rivals, and even use "hit men" on
occasion. It is also not out of the ordinary to see street
battles between crime families involving rockets, machine
guns and bombs.
8. (U) On August 29, the INP arrested 25 members of the
Israeli-Arab Hariri-Ayat crime family, which operates in
northern and central Israel. Those arrested are suspected of
extorting "protection" funds as well as attempted murder,
arson, money-laundering, and drug offenses. The Hariri and
Ayat families are related, but their "troops" consist of
non-family members, including several Jews. The ring has an
ongoing battle with the Abed al-Khader crime family and more
than a dozen people have been killed in turf battles between
them.
9. (U) Media reports state that two Israelis were recently
arrested for allegedly sending a police "mole" to murder a
known underworld figure, Pinchas Buhbut. The report
indicates that the officer involved was from an elite
Jerusalem police unit. In a similar story, Israel has
requested the extradition of a Lithuanian citizen (Marious
Daiminouskous) who allegedly trained and led a team of
assassins from Belarus to murder Israeli underworld figures
Yaacov Alperon and Shoni Gavrieli.
--------------
Who is Ze'ev Rosenstein?
--------------
10. (U) Ze'ev Rosentein, a member of an Israeli-directed
international drug smuggling network which has trafficked
millions of ecstasy pills into Israel is serving time in an
Israeli prison. The U.S. is seeking his extradition on
charges of conspiracy to distribute 700,000 ecstasy pills in
the U.S. This case is ongoing. If he is extradited, media
sources indicate it would be the first time that Israel has
agreed to allow the extradition of an Israeli citizen who is
a full-time resident of the country.
********************************************* ********************
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
You can also access this site through the State Department's
Classified SIPRNET website.
********************************************* ********************
KURTZER
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR PREL PTER EFIN ISRAELI SOCIETY GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE
SUBJECT: ORGANIZED CRIME AND NARCOTICS TRADE IN ISRAEL
1. (U) SUMMARY: According to an Israeli law enforcement
official, all categories of criminal activity are on the
rise. The illegal drug trade, organized crime, murder, and
extortion present major challenges to the Israeli police.
While countries in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and South
America provide a springboard for criminal elements to move
illegal drugs into Israel, the trans-border Bedouin
cooperation causes serious concern. The official remarked on
the unusual nature of Arab-Jewish cooperation in illegal
activities such as drug and weapons smuggling and the
trafficking of women. END SUMMARY.
--------------
INP Organization and Mission
--------------
2. (U) On September 1, Chief Superintendent Chaim Eliyahu of
the Israel National Police's (INP's) Drug and Organized Crime
Unit gave a presentation to embassy officials on his unit's
organization and mission. Eliyahu said the INP falls under
one command and is divided into six districts: Tel Aviv,
Jerusalem, southern, northern, central, and West Bank, which
falls under joint-jurisdiction with the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF). He said each district has a different mission, noting
that police officials in Jerusalem focus on crimes related to
religious extremism, while those in Tel Aviv focus on other
criminal activities like larceny, murder, illegal drugs and
organized crime.
3. (U) Eliyahu said different waves of immigrants to Israel
have brought with them criminal elements, such as immigrants
from the former Soviet Union who commit crimes not seen in
the past. He said that violent crimes and alcohol-related
crimes, once negligible in number, are now becoming
prevalent. He also discussed money laundering and the new
laws in this area that have helped Israel prosecute many
offenders. He explained that in the past an individual could
deposit or invest a considerable amount of money without
being investigated; such transactions are now closely
scrutinized by the GOI.
-------------- --------------
Eliyahu: Drugs Flow From the Land the Sea and the Air
-------------- --------------
4. (U) Eliyahu said that the porous borders with Egypt,
Jordan, Lebanon and Syria allow for the easy flow of hashish,
marijuana, cocaine, and heroin into Israel. One kilogram of
marijuana sells for NIS 1,000 (USD 222) in the vicinity of
the border regions, while the same amount would cost 3,000 to
5,000 NIS (USD 666 to 1111) in Tel Aviv. He stated that the
police seize 15 tons of illegal drugs a year, which is only
about five percent of all illegal drugs that enter Israel.
(Note: On August 29 at the Jordanian border, police
confiscated 30 kilograms of pure heroin - about 300,000 doses
- with an estimated worth of NIS 3.5 million. The report
indicates that police believe Bedouin and Jewish residents of
the Negev were involved. End Note.)
5. (U) Eliyahu further said that the smuggling of
amphetamines and ecstasy from Europe via the nation's
airports and sea terminals poses a serious problem. As an
example, he cited the July 7 arrest by Jerusalem police of
seven members of an ecstasy ring involved in smuggling 90,000
pills from Europe worth millions of shekels.
--------------
Criminal Cooperation
--------------
6. (U) Eliyahu said Arab and Jewish criminal networks in
Israel work efficiently across language, religious, cultural,
and physical barriers. He stated that drug smugglers take
advantage of the ease with which Israeli-Bedouin communicate
with Bedouin tribes in Egypt. In addition, Arabs living in
Israel often have family in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt,
and other Arab countries, and those involved in illegal
activities use these ties to traffic women, drugs and weapons.
--------------
Turf Wars
--------------
7. (U) Eliyahu said that gun battles between crime families
continue and have intensified over the years. He added that
crime families do not abide by any "code of honor" when it
comes to dealing with rivals, and even use "hit men" on
occasion. It is also not out of the ordinary to see street
battles between crime families involving rockets, machine
guns and bombs.
8. (U) On August 29, the INP arrested 25 members of the
Israeli-Arab Hariri-Ayat crime family, which operates in
northern and central Israel. Those arrested are suspected of
extorting "protection" funds as well as attempted murder,
arson, money-laundering, and drug offenses. The Hariri and
Ayat families are related, but their "troops" consist of
non-family members, including several Jews. The ring has an
ongoing battle with the Abed al-Khader crime family and more
than a dozen people have been killed in turf battles between
them.
9. (U) Media reports state that two Israelis were recently
arrested for allegedly sending a police "mole" to murder a
known underworld figure, Pinchas Buhbut. The report
indicates that the officer involved was from an elite
Jerusalem police unit. In a similar story, Israel has
requested the extradition of a Lithuanian citizen (Marious
Daiminouskous) who allegedly trained and led a team of
assassins from Belarus to murder Israeli underworld figures
Yaacov Alperon and Shoni Gavrieli.
--------------
Who is Ze'ev Rosenstein?
--------------
10. (U) Ze'ev Rosentein, a member of an Israeli-directed
international drug smuggling network which has trafficked
millions of ecstasy pills into Israel is serving time in an
Israeli prison. The U.S. is seeking his extradition on
charges of conspiracy to distribute 700,000 ecstasy pills in
the U.S. This case is ongoing. If he is extradited, media
sources indicate it would be the first time that Israel has
agreed to allow the extradition of an Israeli citizen who is
a full-time resident of the country.
********************************************* ********************
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
You can also access this site through the State Department's
Classified SIPRNET website.
********************************************* ********************
KURTZER