Tight-fitting mask and inside help: New details in the liquidation of the mafia boss
Police initially believed they could identify the hitman as he did not hide his face. However, after reviewing security footage, investigators now believe he wore a special tight-fitting mask to appear as an elderly person. Authorities suspect a contract killer was brought in from abroad and may have already left the country.
A day after the chilling liquidation of 45-year-old Yanis Yushaev, a leader of the Caucasian mafia, police have released new details suggesting the hitman wore a tight-fitting mask to mimic the appearance of an elderly person. Investigators suspect the assassin may have been brought in from abroad specifically for this hit, and that he was assisted by an accomplice posing as a diner inside the restaurant.
Following the assassination at a restaurant in Caesarea, police initially hoped to identify the shooter through security camera footage, as he did not appear to be hiding his face. However, closer inspection of the videos led investigators to conclude that the perpetrator was wearing a specialized mask. It is now considered possible that the hitman has already fled Israel or will do so shortly.
Investigators believe Yushaev had been under surveillance, and his killers were well aware of his routine of dining at the gas station restaurant in Caesarea. Despite being a high-profile target, Yushaev did not travel with bodyguards.
The suspicion: Inside help
According to investigators, an accomplice sat inside the restaurant posing as a customer and signaled the assassin when Yushaev finished his meal and headed for the exit. The hitman waited outside the door, shot Yushaev in the head at point-blank range, and fled the scene. It is believed the accomplice also wore a tight-fitting mask, making identification difficult.
Yushaev, a resident of Or Akiva, was married and a father of three. He was considered the head of the Caucasian mafia in the Sharon region and was one of the most significant intelligence targets for the Hadera police and the Coastal District Central Unit.
In recent years, he had been arrested multiple times on suspicion of involvement in serious crimes, including arson of dozens of vehicles, shootings at private homes, and the use of fragmentation grenades in Hadera and Or Akiva. However, in most instances, authorities were unable to secure an indictment, and he was repeatedly released. Yushaev often described himself as a "legitimate businessman who drives a Bentley."
