The Protection Racket Kingdom: Business Owners Forced to Live in Existential Fear Speak Out | Special
Three business owners who were targeted by criminals for extortion bravely appear on camera, faces uncovered, and recount how they refused to pay protection money and what the consequences were. A criminal explains the extortion method: a demand for payment, and if not paid — shooting at the home or business.
In the second part of the investigative project by i24NEWS reporter Adi Meiri, broadcast on the main edition, three business owners who were targeted by criminals for extortion bravely appear on camera with their faces uncovered. Shimon Hadad, a contractor, tells how three different vehicles arrived at his location on the same day, each demanding protection money under claims of territorial control. Yariv Ben Ami, a protection racket victim and founder of 'Ad Kan', describes vandalism to expensive equipment he invested in his business and a ransom demand. The report also speaks with a criminal who explains the extortion method: a demand for payment, and if not paid — shooting at the home or business. The report emphasizes that extortion is not a one-time event but an ongoing tax collected by force for the right to work in safety.