The protection racket attack, free weapons and black money: The new face of organized crime in Israel

A special series reveals the transformation of organized crime in Israel: about 25 organizations control the streets, take over state tenders and hold an unlimited arsenal of weapons. The police warn of a strategic threat.

A special series of investigative reports by i24NEWS exposes the new face of organized crime in Israel. Over the past decade, following the dismantling of the major crime organizations, a vacuum has been created that led to an 'inflation of crime organizations,' in the words of the police. According to police data, about 25 major crime organizations currently operate in the Arab sector (including Hariri, Bakri, Abu Latif, Jarushi and Tarabin) alongside Jewish organizations (Mosli, Domrani and Lavi). Superintendent Dudi Katz warns that the 'Swords of Iron' war has turned the weapons world into an 'open buffet' for the organizations, and warns of a scenario of role reversal. Golan Mordechai, a tax investigation official, estimates that the volume of black money turned over by the organizations stands at 50 to 100 billion shekels a year, through taking over state tenders, collecting protection money and money laundering. An active criminal described a reality of available weapons and extortion of businesses. Senior law enforcement officials call for aggressive intergovernmental coordination.