Police seized NIS 1.2 billion from crime syndicates since start of 2023

The Israel Police and Border Police seized assets worth over NIS 1.2 billion from criminal organizations since the beginning of the year, the police spokesman announced on Sunday.

The police said they were able to confiscate the cash, property, and vehicles valued at NIS 1.216 billion due to law enforcement’s persistent operations under Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai.

The forfeitures over several months represent an increase in anti-crime group confiscations from the same period in 2021 and 2022. In 2021 just over NIS 1.15b. worth of assets were seized, and in 2022 NIS 1.04b. were taken.

Israel Police cut off the oxygen supply of crime syndicates: Dirty money

“As a result of hard work in the field of economic crime, we cut off the oxygen supply of criminal organizations, the dirty money obtained from criminal activity in a variety of significant offenses, among them – drug trafficking, weapons, and protection racket fees,” said police Intelligence Division chief Shmuel Sharvit.

“As soon as we stop the possibility of the criminal organizations to finance their various professions, we will cripple their criminal activity and prevent them from continuing the dangerous use of weapons, drugs, and illegal trade, and the ability of taking over businesses illegally,” he said.

On Sunday, the Border Police announced that last week they had confiscated 31 weapons, including 10 pistols and eight explosive devices in central Israel, Judea and Samaria. In Lod, police raided a compound and found two guns, stun grenades, and ammunition. Eight people were arrested.

The Lod arrests were made by a task force put together by Central District commander Avi Biton to combat the rise of Arab street violence. The Arab sector has seen at least 144 deaths in 2023, most of them gun deaths and many connected to crime organizations.

Police also cracked down on car thefts in Jerusalem over the weekend, arresting eight suspects, some of whom resided in eastern Jerusalem and others who were illegal residents.

On Friday, police conducted a sting operation on criminals stealing car trailers in Beit Shemesh. Police arrested the suspects, who attempted to escape by ramming a roadblock.