Four Chareidi youngsters have been remanded to police custody on Wednesday under the suspicion that they were involved with the importing of 33,000 ecstasy pills from Switzerland into Israel. Three of the suspects live in Bnei Brak, while the fourth lives in Jerusalem. All of the suspects are between 20-23 years-old. One of the suspects is reportedly an Avreich Kollel.
The smuggling scandal was discovered when two of the four suspects landed in Israel 2 weeks ago and were detained for a random customs inspection, after they roused the suspicions of the customs employees in the non-declaration line. In the suitcase of the suspect from Jerusalem, some 32,863 ecstasy pills were found underneath a false bottom of the suitcase. The total weight of the pills was some 22 pounds.
A third suspect was detained outside the airport after he also raised the suspicion of airport authority workers even though he hadn’t taken a flight. The suspects were taken into police custody and interrogated by the central region’s specialized police unit. The two suspects who were caught with the suitcase claimed that they were asked to smuggle watches and did not know that they possessed the drugs.
The Jerusalem man, aged 22, claimed that the person who requested that he bring the watches was the same man who was stopped outside Ben Gurion airport, and that he had paid for the suspect’s ticket and even offered for him to bring a friend along, which he did – the other suspect from Bnei Brak.
On Sunday, a fourth suspect was detained in connection with the smuggling. He is a coworker of the man who was arrested outside the airport. He is supected of aiding and abetting the importing of the illegal drugs and of planning part of the logistics behind the operation.
The three original suspects have been brought for arriagnment numerous times and the courts have maintained the police custody over them until police can determine the real identity of the third and fourth individuals involved in the case. According to reports in the Israeli media, both of these individuals have been using fake identification for some time.
The judge who presided over the arraignment cast into doubt the claim of the two suspects who performed the smuggling, stating that there was a lot to be suspect of in their claim.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
If these allegations are proven, they will hopefully rot in jail for a long time. The drug problem is literally killing thousands of young men and women in EY and the U.S. and the facilitation by so called “chareidim”. Even worse, is the bizarre journalism that labels them as “youngsters”. Israelis in their late teens are serving in the IDF and being moser nefesh for klal yisroel and risking their lives and they are MEN not youngsters. Anyone who buys into this narrative that these were simply gullible “youngsters” who did not realize they were accessories to drug abuse are themselves in a state of denial.
O boy. Here we go again. When are ppl gonna learn that no one is gonna pay your full airfare AND bring a friend for a few “watches”. You need to ponder how much he can be making on some watches and what it’s costing him in your airfare and you’ll very quickly realize that something else is going on here.
“and were detained for a random customs inspection after they roused the suspicions of the customs employees”
If they roused suspicions, then it wasn’t random.
Very sad story!
What was the plan for the ecstasy drugs upon arrival??? How low to go to make a few bucks!!!!
Anon 21: 22lbs of smuggled expensive swiss watches would yield a considerable multiple of the cost of two cheap airfares from Tel Aviv to Zurich and back. Their story about the drugs may or may not be true but they for sure must have guessed they were smuggling something. They must have known they may get caught and even if the holy youngsters didn’t have the moral strength or the brains to turn the deal down outright, they must be really stupid not to have checked what they were carrying.
@ANON21 – at first I was inclined to agree with you. However, once I thought about it I realized that if someone smuggled in 100 Rolex watches it would amount to nearly a million dollars. In such case it would not be unrealistic for someone to pay for another’s trip to EU in exchange for smuggling them in. However, the possibility that these Avreichim knew that they were smuggling in drugs is just as likely, unfortunately. Regardless, even according to their story they were involved in illegal activity. Bringing in items for personal use (such as a laptop, etc) without declaring it is common practice here (being that taxes are ridiculously high). However, making a business out of smuggling is something all together different.
Unfortunately, this article opens discussion about a serious problem that seems to have made it’s way into our society… “Drug Abuse”. Drug abuse is something that should never have shown its ugly face in our society. It stems from a lack of understanding our purpose and role in this world. The main reason people turn to drugs is because they subconsciously think that we’re supposed to experience pleasure and joy in this world. Therefore, if I don’t naturally feel pleasure then it is acceptable and right to use artificial means to attain that goal.
If, however, we would strive to ingrain within ourselves the truth that our real function in this world is to strive to attach ourselves to Hashem and mavatel our ratzon to his (as did Moshe Rabbanu completely and other tzaddikim to a lesser degree) we would we be much happier and less desirous to turn to artificially induced happiness which does not leave lasting impressions of happiness and causes dependency as a result. From those I have personal known that once were drug users the only thing that seems to have worked for them to drop the drugs was a heavy injection of living Torah to its fullest. Simply the joy of living a Jewish life fulfilled with a conscious effort to do mitzvas and even more so a serious intense Limud HaTorah session daily (I.E. not a “sleep through Daf Yomi shiur”) allowed them to lose total interest in drugs. In their own words, “I don’t need them (drugs) any more”. This is what our focus of discussion should be and not whether or not these guys were guilty of criminal activity.
and if it taaka was watches? then it’s ok?
Ltoeles Harabim!
for anyone contemplating solar panels,please do the math yourself and see if it’s going to be a true savings.
Anything and everything the salesman tells you put in writing.Read contract carefully.Having tremendous Agmas nefesh for not being vigilant as well being trusting!
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Thank you
תחילה בפשיעה וסופו באונס חייב.
I hope they and their families don’t get ruined for life for this, but what will be will be…. Can’t help but feel bad for fellow Jews at some level. They were definitely Tamimim at best.
If someone you don’t know very well asks you to take a package, INSIST ON CHECKING THE CONTENTS.
ALWAYS!
EVERY TIME!!!