Special Police Unit Tackles Northern Crime Families

Regional riot police units (Yasam) of the Israel Police are at the forefront of the fight against crime organizations in northern Israel, conducting dangerous arrests and confronting crime families directly. Correspondent Lee Ayash joined a Yasam operation in the Asher region that raided a criminal compound during a wedding, apprehending a suspect inside.

Yasam commander Elior Shlomo described the complex operational environment, stating, "You arrive at a routine event of normal life, alongside a crime event, an event that can escalate or that we try to prevent. This is our dissonance, this is what we deal with." The unit operates in an area with dirt paths used for drug and weapons smuggling, a focal point of deadly conflicts that have claimed dozens of victims.

According to Shlomo, the goal is early deterrence. "The very presence of forces in the field, when the forces are visible, when the forces are preparing the ground for activities, they prevent incidents. They prevent murders, they prevent the transfer of weapons, they prevent drug deals," he explained.

The unit includes dedicated officers like Saif Suleiman, a motorcycle team commander who lost a leg during an operational pursuit, underwent rehabilitation, and returned to duty. "I set a goal for myself. I said no matter what, I will return to functioning," Suleiman said.

The unit draws strength from the memory of fallen comrades, including Commander Shlomo's brother, Moshe'el Shlomo, a commando unit team leader who fell on October 7th. Photos of the fallen accompany the Yasam fighters daily as part of their combat heritage. Elior Shlomo stated, "This is heritage. This is his way, everything he touched, everything around him. His goodness, the desire to give of himself. I talk to him every day, I have no other way."