Exclusive: The undercover agent who brought down protection racket criminals speaks for the first time
An undercover police agent, referred to as 'A', was sent to establish a fake business in Be'er Sheva to incriminate a criminal network that extorted protection money from local businesses. After he refused to pay, suspects broke into his business in the dead of night. The operation ended with the arrest of seven suspects and the filing of serious indictments.
An undercover agent of the Israel Police, referred to in the article as 'A', was sent to establish a fake business in the Emek Sara industrial zone in Be'er Sheva, with the aim of incriminating a criminal network that extorted protection money from local business owners. The affair began following a wave of complaints about systematic extortion. The agent refused to pay the suspects, rejected their demands, and in response, two suspects broke into his business in the dead of night. The next day, the extortionists tried to convince him to pay using a 'creative solution' of issuing fake pay slips. All the while, the agent's family was unaware of his true identity. After the case matured, an arrest order was given, and seven suspects were arrested and indicted for extortion by threats. The article notes that in the past year, there has been a 32% increase in protection money cases opened in the Rotem district. The operation was presented as part of a joint effort by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Police Commissioner Danny Levy, and Southern District Commander Superintendent Haim Bublil.