7 (guess who?) detained for allegedly defrauding state war-relief funds

 

Officers from the National Economic Crime Unit at Lahav 433, together with National Insurance investigators, this morning detained seven suspects (guess who?) involved in a large-scale fraud network.

The seven are suspected of pocketing millions of shekels from the state treasury while impersonating residents of northern border communities.

The undercover investigation, conducted over recent months, uncovered a corrupt method of operation: according to suspicion, the suspects bribed an employee at the Population and Immigration Authority to make false changes to their addresses in government databases.

Using the falsified northern addresses, the suspects created the false impression that they were eligible for relocation and assistance grants provided by the National Insurance Institute to citizens forced to leave their homes due to the war. In reality, according to the investigation, the suspects had never lived in those communities.

In a joint statement by the police and National Insurance, the severity of the actions was emphasized, noting that they cynically exploited a national emergency:

"These are serious suspicions that caused damage to the public coffers amounting to millions of shekels, particularly given that the actions were carried out during a national emergency and a state of war."

The investigation, which includes suspicions of bribery, aggravated fraud, and conspiracy to commit a crime, is still in its early stages. According to developments, the police are expected to bring the suspects to a hearing for an extension of their detention at the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court.

Lahav 433 and the National Insurance Institute clarified that they will continue to act firmly against anyone attempting to exploit state resources intended for war victims.