Tax Authority seized dozens of vehicles: Multi-million fraud exposed
In a joint enforcement operation in the south, 26 vehicles and 7 trucks belonging to tax debtors were seized, and non-registration of income totaling approximately 1 million shekels and violations of the Cash Law amounting to 380 thousand shekels were uncovered.
As part of a comprehensive national operation to strengthen public security and combat serious crime in the Arab sector, led by the Southern District of the Israel Police, the Tax Authority conducted large-scale enforcement activities in the city of Rahat. During the operation, dozens of vehicles and trucks belonging to tax debtors were seized and impounded, with an estimated value of millions of shekels, alongside audits of bookkeeping in businesses and investigative activities to locate tax offenders.
The operation involved various units of the Tax Authority, operating with the support of police forces, the Border Police (Magav), and the National Guard.
According to the Tax Authority, the enforcement unit in Be'er Sheva seized 26 vehicles and 7 trucks belonging to tax debtors in the city of Rahat. The cumulative debt of the vehicle and truck owners stands at approximately 12 million shekels.
Simultaneously, the national bookkeeping unit conducted audits at 20 locations in Rahat and the community of Tarabin. At 13 of the locations, non-registration of income was found, totaling approximately 1 million shekels. In addition, violations of the Cash Law were identified, amounting to 380 thousand shekels.
In one case, the unit's inspectors arrived at a bakery, where open checks not recorded as income were found, totaling approximately 345 thousand shekels. The business owner claimed that he issues invoices once a month and added that there was no cooperation in his communication with the accountant. During the audit, a person arrived at the scene claiming he came to shut off the gas, but upon inspection, it was found that he was operating a business from within the bakery without keeping books.
In another case, an audit at a grocery store revealed that income of 4,000 shekels received via the Bit application was not recorded. Furthermore, the inspectors uncovered that the business owner also operates an illegal business selling phones. During the search of his office, cash bills were found rolled up inside small memo pages, totaling 10,000 shekels, which, according to the Tax Authority, belonged to the phone sales activity. The business owner claimed that these were funds he received while he was abroad.
The activity of the Tax Authority units in the operation was led and coordinated by the Tax Authority's designated project manager for combating crime in the Arab sector.
