In recent hours, authorities have seized over 33 vehicles—including high-end cars estimated at over NIS 4 million ($1.1 million)—along with NIS 900,000 ($240,000) in cash. Tax debts totaling around NIS 50 million ($13.4 million) were also collected. Police said the operation is part of a broader national effort to "cut off the financial oxygen supply" to organized crime in Arab communities.
Luxury vehicles seized by police
(Video: Lior El-Hai, Israel Police)
The operation is led jointly by the police’s Coastal District and the National Taskforce for Combating Crime in Arab Society, under the Prime Minister’s Office, with support from the Tax Authority, State Prosecutor’s Office, Shin Bet and several ministries and civilian enforcement bodies.
"This is a wide-scale economic enforcement operation aimed at combating organized crime, reinforcing governance, and restoring the public’s sense of security," the police said in a statement. Commissioner Levi and other senior police, Prime Minister’s Office and Tax Authority officials oversaw the operation on the ground.
The operation follows an extensive covert phase that included intelligence gathering and evidence collection regarding suspected financial and criminal offenses. As part of the raid, law enforcement units stormed dozens of compounds and businesses, carrying out targeted financial enforcement actions.
“The State of Israel will continue to work across all fronts and with all available tools against criminal elements, for the benefit of law-abiding citizens,” Levsaid.
Standing beside two vehicle transport trucks loaded with expensive SUVs and a Porsche, Asher District Commander Chief Superintendent Eyal Reon told the commissioner, “The Porsche wasn’t parked outside—it was hidden inside a small structure to keep it out of sight. And that’s just one of the vehicles we’ve seized. More luxury vehicles will be confiscated soon.”
Levi added, “One of the tragedies in the Arab sector is that a 16- or 17-year-old looks around and sees someone driving two Jeep Rubicons. He asks himself: ‘Should I go to school, work or join a crime gang? If I kill a few people, do I get a Rubicon as a gift?’ That’s a tempting equation.
“We need to flip it—to tell that Jewish or Arab teen, ‘Go to school, get a degree, become a law-abiding citizen, earn your money and then buy that car. Murder won’t get you anywhere.’”
He concluded, “That’s why we need to take these vehicles, this symbol. There’s no reason anyone in Israel should be driving an armored vehicle. They need to be confiscated, scrapped and shown to the public. We must not let up.”
