The End of the Brain Behind the Empire? How Eyal Nager Became One of the Strongest Crime Figures in the South

After the killing of Benny Shlomo, Eyal Nager strengthened his hold in Ashdod, forged alliances with his enemies, but suffered a significant blow with his arrest in the Lahish District Police case. Police Commissioner Danny Levy assessed that the organization would weaken in the coming years.

Eyal Nager, considered the 'finance minister' of Benny Shlomo's crime organization, became one of the strongest crime figures in the South after Shlomo's killing in October 2022. Instead of weakening, Nager solidified his grip on Ashdod, forged alliances with his sworn enemies – the Lavi brothers – and even strengthened additional coalitions, including with the 'Georgian gang'. However, the reconciliation was perceived as betrayal among some of his former allies, leading to a new crime war. Only a few months ago, an assassination attempt using an explosive device in his car was foiled. This week, in an operation by the Lahish District Police, Nager and several senior members of his organization were arrested. Police Commissioner Danny Levy said the organization would decline in power for at least the coming years and would struggle to recover.