Dog grooming in Saba, a stun grenade at a kindergarten: a criminal organization that established a loan bank with interest was exposed

The police announced that they uncovered a family crime organization in Holon that was allegedly operated by a father and his 2 sons and included loans at exorbitant interest rates, with violence against those who have difficulty repaying debts.

15 suspects were arrested for questioning, 13 will be charged

Kerin Sagi

04/08/2022

Thursday, 04 August 2022, 11:49 Updated: 12:38

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In the video: a criminal organization that established a bank for loans at interest and operated a mask of terrorism and violence was exposed (Israel Police Spokesperson)

The police announced today (Thursday) that they uncovered a family crime organization in the central region, suspected of having established a bank for loans at interest, while using violence on borrowers who had difficulty with repayments.

This, at the end of an investigation lasting more than a year that led to the suspects of operating the organization, a father and his sons, residents of Holon.

The police call the affair a "gray blow".

More than a month ago, the 15 suspected members of the organization were arrested for questioning, on suspicion of extortion by threats, causing an explosion with explosives, arson, money laundering, as well as tax and other economic offenses.

According to the suspicion, the main suspects - the father, Shmuel Kahlon, 64, and his two sons, Avi and Noam, 35 and 37, managed and operated a pirate loan bank in the gray market, which granted loans to citizens at exorbitant interest rates.

During the investigation, the investigative teams of the Tel Aviv District Court came to more than 200 citizens and family members of debtors, who took out loans and were required to pay huge sums to cover the loans.

According to the suspicion, borrowers who did not meet the loan repayments of hundreds of percent per year, found themselves in a mask of violence and severe threats towards them and their family members, which became a means of pressure and a source of extortion of huge sums.

Arrests in the case (Photo: Israel Police spokeswoman)

During the investigation, the Himar investigators revealed the methods of collection and violence allegedly used by the organization's members in dozens of cases, including shooting at houses, throwing stun grenades and assault. In one of the cases that were revealed, a 74-year-old grandfather whose grandson had difficulty repaying a loan was summoned to a meeting at the family's offices in Holon During the meeting, the grandfather was blackmailed by the suspects while two rottweiler dogs were kept in the room. In another case, the debtor's sister, who owns a kindergarten who was extorted huge amounts of money, was summoned after a stun grenade was thrown in the evening at the kindergarten she owns.

According to the police, during the investigation the clear hierarchical structure of the organization was revealed The crime included senior level, intermediate level, field levels, as well as a support system for members of the organization who got involved in crimes, including legal aid and the transfer of "canteen" money to those serving prison terms.

With the transition to the open investigation, dozens of police detectives raided the houses of the suspects and the main "office" of the crime organization on Arba HaHashet Street in Holon, where, among other things, batons, shackets, masks and dogs were seized.

During the investigation, six change businesses were mapped, which were allegedly used as a conduit for the organization's money laundering in the amounts of millions of shekels, and ten vehicles and motorcycles were also seized for confiscation.

According to the suspicion, the amount of money laundering is NIS 15-25 million and the amount of tax evasion is NIS 10 million.

With the completion of the investigation conducted in cooperation with the Tax Authority, and the Tel Aviv Criminal and Civil District Attorney's Office, a prosecutor's statement was submitted yesterday in the case of 13 suspects regarding the intention to submit indictments and requests for detention against them until the end of the proceedings.

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Lawyer Shimshon Weiss, who represents one of the suspects in the case, said in response: "My client was arrested for the purposes of an investigation when throughout the process he denied the suspicions attributed to him. This is an investigation that lasted for a long period of time during which he was not presented with any real evidence linking him to what was attributed to him and it seemed that his arrest was a means Pressure only. In the coming days, an indictment will be filed, we will study the material that has formed and state our position before the court."

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• The gray market