"The suspicion against her is purely economic": The arrest of the well-known criminal's wife has been extended
The Magistrate's Court in Ashkelon extended by three days the detention of Ofir Nagar, who was arrested as part of the protection racket affair in the south. The judge noted that there is merit to the defense's claim that the offenses are economic, but there is a fear of obstruction of the investigation. Her defense attorney stated: "This is a woman whose sin, in my opinion, is that she is the wife of Eyal Nagar."
The detention of Ofir Nagar, wife of crime organization head Eyal Nagar, was extended today (Monday) until Thursday at the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court. Nagar was arrested last week as part of the "Relay Race" affair, which investigates a network of extortion by threats in the southern region, on suspicion of money laundering and income concealment offenses.
In court, the police representative demanded that Nagar remain in custody, stating that many investigative actions remain, some of which could be obstructed if she were released. Conversely, her attorney Nes Ben Nathan argued that the suspicions against her are primarily economic and requested to release her to an alternative detention arrangement.
"This is an economic offense for a woman whose sin, in my opinion, is that she is the wife of Eyal Nagar," the attorney said during the hearing, emphasizing that she is a mother of three children.
Judge Avishai Zevulun determined that the defense's claims are largely justified, as the investigation material shows that the suspicions attributed to Nagar focus on economic offenses. However, the judge added that after reviewing the secret report and the actions the police plan to carry out, there is still a real fear of obstruction of the investigation. Therefore, he ruled that it is not possible to settle for an alternative detention arrangement at this stage.
The investigation, named "Relay Race," was exposed last week with the arrest of dozens of suspects, including crime organization head Eyal Nagar. The arrests were carried out at the end of a long and covert investigation by the Lachish Central Unit (Yamar) combined with Border Police fighters and undercover agents. According to the suspicion, Nagar was a silent partner in a delivery company in the Ashdod and Kiryat Gat area, through which distribution services were forced upon business owners while extorting protection money.
Nagar's activity in the south and the Shephelah region expanded significantly after the liquidation of criminal Beni Shlomo in October 2022, in whose organization Nagar served as the central financier. The police currently attribute to his organization the takeover of distribution systems, management of cash funds, provision of loans on the gray market, and the use of threats against local food businesses. Nagar himself continues to deny what is attributed to him in the affair, and the investigation regarding him and other involved parties continues.
