Last Update: 17/09/2004 18:24 Los Angeles police uncover Israeli drug ring By Haaretz Service
A Los Angeles-area police task force announced it has uncovered a ring of drug dealers, many of whom are Israeli nationals, Israel Radio reported Friday.
Police said 29-year-old Israeli Eliyahu Marciano headed the ring. Marciano is also suspected of involvement in money laundering. Police officers confiscated 160,000 Ecstasy tablets worth $7 million from the gang.
Five other arrests were made this week and eight others in recent weeks in connection to the case.
The arrests were made in California four days ago following a year-long investigation carried out with the cooperation of Israeli, Czech, Austrian, Belgian and Spanish police authorities.
The Israelis reportedly among those arrested in the international operation include: Marciano; Nimrod Haim, 27, of Prague, who helped brokered Ecstasy deals; Hillel Shamam, 38, of Woodland Hills, California, who allegedly helped Marciano launder drug proceeds through real estate transactions; Sanny Assoulin, 30, of Sherman Oaks, California, an alleged Ecstasy distributor; and Yossi Moshiah, 46.
Los Angeles-area police believe the Israeli-dominated drug ring was importing Ecstasy from Europe with the assistance of dealers in the Czech Republic.