Using family members and defying the law: a new criminal trend
A mother and son from Kiryat Gat were arrested with a commercial quantity of crystal meth intended for distribution, joining a growing list of families recently exposed for criminal activity across the country.
Another family has been added to the list of crime syndicates this past week: a mother in her 70s and her son from Kiryat Gat. Both were caught and arrested with a commercial quantity of a crystal-type drug prepared for distribution and sale. Police investigators conducted a search of their home based on intelligence gathered.
"The Israel Police acts consistently and decisively against drug offenses and those involved in their distribution," said Superintendent Shai Elly, commander of the Kiryat Gat police station, following the arrests. "Intelligence and operational activity allowed us to locate the suspects, seize the suspected substances, and continue acting to thwart criminal activity that harms public safety and the quality of life for residents."
According to Elly, officers will continue to act proactively to bring those involved to justice and remove criminal elements from the public sphere.
This is the second family caught engaging in criminal activity recently, following the case of Sivan and Eliran Buhbut from Haifa. The couple arrived with their three children for a vacation in Eilat, which they used as a cover for a spree of thefts across 15 businesses in malls and on the northern promenade. While the woman distracted employees, the husband would remove security tags from items like clothing, glasses, and cosmetics, placing them in a bag hanging on their toddler's stroller. In one instance, the man even instructed his son to bring him a bottle of perfume from a pharmacy, which he then took without paying. The total value of their thefts exceeded 100,000 shekels.
About a year ago, a family was caught in Eilat—a 74-year-old woman, her daughter, her son, and the son's partner—on suspicion of operating a drug trafficking network. The case, dubbed "Ice Age," began with a covert investigation into the son, who was in his 40s. After his arrest, he implicated his family members and partner as accomplices in the distribution network.
Incidents of this nature have occurred before. In Kfar Saba, authorities still recall a grandmother who arrived with her daughter and grandson from Holon to steal goods from the Renanim Mall worth tens of thousands of shekels. Upon their arrest, police found stolen cosmetics, toiletries, and lingerie in their possession and at their homes.
