An undercover agent brought down an extortion network in the south: this is how the method worked
A severe indictment was filed against two brothers suspected of running a protection money collection system from business owners in the Be'er Sheva industrial zone. The police investigation revealed extortion under threats of hundreds of thousands of shekels.
The Southern District Attorney's Office filed a severe indictment in the Be'er Sheva District Court against brothers Ahmad (34) and Muhammad (22) Abu Assa from Tel Sheva, accusing them of managing a system of extortion and protection money collection from business owners in the Emek Sara industrial zone in Be'er Sheva.
The indictment, filed by Adv. Ruth Kabra, reveals a grim picture in which the Emek Sara industrial zone has been divided in recent years into zones of control between different families for the purpose of collecting protection money. According to the allegations, Ahmad Abu Assa managed and operated the collection system in the area under his family's control, while his brother Muhammad served as a guard at one of the businesses as part of the same method.
Ahmad would approach business owners in the area, present himself as the person responsible for security, and demand a fixed monthly payment. To exert pressure, he made it clear to the business owners that everyone in the area pays and that the payment is a condition for no damage to be caused to their property. Business owners who refused to pay were subjected to repeated approaches and heavy pressure, until some surrendered and paid, while others were forced to close or leave the place out of fear of the defendants.
The investigation, conducted by the Negev Central Unit (YAMAR) of the Israel Police, included the deployment of an undercover agent who set up a fictitious business in the industrial zone. The indictment states that Ahmad also approached the undercover agent, introduced himself as the guard of the area, and demanded protection money from him. Ahmad even clarified to the agent that even if he chose to hire the services of another licensed security company, he was still obligated to pay him personally.
The indictment details additional cases of extortion: a contracting company that paid Ahmad at least 1,000 shekels and was required to pay 7,000 shekels per month for security services, and a local business that paid the brothers over the course of nearly three years a cumulative sum of approximately 196,000 shekels.
Along with the indictment, which charges Ahmad with offenses of protection money collection and attempted protection money collection, and both brothers together with offenses of protection money collection, the prosecution filed a request for their detention until the end of legal proceedings, as well as a request to forfeit Ahmad's vehicle, which was used to commit the offenses.
Adv. Ruth Kabra noted in the detention request:
"The evidentiary picture emerging from the case is horrifying and testifies more than anything to the need to fight the phenomenon of protection money collection, of which the defendants' actions are a severe manifestation."
