Israeli "Drug King" in Goa Surrenders to Authorities

Yeniv Bena'im, an Israeli national known as "Atalla" and dubbed the "Israeli drug king of Goa" by Indian media, surrendered to a court in North Goa on Wednesday. Bena'im, 52, from Rishon Lezion, had been a fugitive for weeks after failing to appear for a court hearing on August 24 regarding a new drug case against him. This led to an arrest warrant without bail and a border alert to prevent his departure from India.

He appeared at the court in Mapusa, North Goa, on the final day set by the Bombay High Court in Goa for his surrender. Following the proceedings, he was taken into judicial custody and transferred to the central jail in Colvale. His request for bail remains pending and is scheduled for a hearing on September 21.

The current case began on April 5, 2025, when Bena'im was arrested at a rented house in Siolim, North Goa. According to the Goa police, 50 grams of cocaine, 110 grams of hashish, and cash were seized. He was released on bail in August 2025, but the state of Goa appealed. In July of this year, the High Court overturned the bail decision and ordered a lower court to reconsider the bail request, which was denied on August 14. Bena'im's subsequent failure to appear resulted in the arrest warrant.

This is not the first time Bena'im has evaded authorities in Goa. In 2010, his former girlfriend released videos allegedly showing him boasting about connections with police officers. He was released on bail at the time but disappeared, only to be located in Peru in January 2011 and returned to India. Bena'im is also involved in a separate legal process concerning his identification documents in India, as police investigate how a foreign national without valid residency permits obtained an Indian biometric ID.