Israel Police Release Notorious Crime Boss Eitan Haya Without Conditions
Israel Police released crime boss Eitan Haya without conditions after his arrest last week over the alleged assault of a Jerusalem criminal. Haya served a 12-year sentence before his release nine months ago.
The Israel Police released crime boss Eitan Haya on Sunday morning following his arrest last week on suspicion of assaulting a criminal from Jerusalem. Haya was released unconditionally without being brought before a court.
On Tuesday, five detectives from the Jerusalem District Police's Central Unit intercepted Haya as he sat in his car in an upscale neighborhood of the city. Another individual accompanying him in the vehicle was arrested following a struggle and is suspected of involvement in a murder case. Investigators suspected that 73-year-old Haya had dispatched operatives to brutally assault a Jerusalem criminal in his sixties amid a recent dispute, resulting in a broken hand and subsequent medical treatment for the victim.
Investigation and Background
Preliminary allegations against Haya included conspiracy to commit a crime, assault, and assaulting a police officer in the line of duty. Police indicated that the assault occurred last week inside a Jerusalem apartment, where several operatives allegedly sent by Haya carried out the attack.
Approximately nine months ago, Haya was released from a prison in southern Israel after serving a 12-year sentence for extortion through loan sharking and money laundering offenses. He spent his entire sentence without taking a single prison furlough. Despite his age, intelligence officials from the Israel Police and the Israel Prison Service maintained strict surveillance, asserting that he continued directing criminal operations from behind bars. Authorities noted that his mild-mannered demeanor and fondness for smoking Cuban cigars masked an immediate return to the criminal underworld to reassert his presence and deter rivals.
