Three Young Men in Haifa Charged with Kidnapping and Forcing Victims to Empty Bank Accounts

The Haifa District Attorney's Office has filed serious charges against three local men, Leon Tsibulansky (20), David Varva (22), and Daniel Afonin (21), accusing them of kidnapping, aggravated robbery, extortion, and assault causing bodily harm. The indictment alleges that the trio violently attacked two young men following a prior dispute involving Afonin. The suspects reportedly lured the victims to Varva's apartment, where Tsibulansky and Afonin assaulted them with punches and kicks. Tsibulansky allegedly threatened the victims with a knife to surrender their phones, while the group also used pepper spray and stole jewelry and cash from them.

According to the indictment, the suspects forced the victims to open their banking apps and, upon discovering one had approximately 1,200 shekels, kidnapped them and compelled the victim to withdraw the entire amount under threats of murder. Before being taken to a bank branch about two kilometers away, the victims were made to clean themselves and change clothes. The suspects threatened to kill them if they did not cooperate and pretend to be friends. After the withdrawal, Tsibulansky reportedly threw the victims' phones over a nearby fence. The suspects fled, leaving the victims injured.

The prosecution has requested that the three remain in custody until the conclusion of legal proceedings. The charges include aggravated robbery, extortion by force and threats, kidnapping, assault causing bodily harm, and illegal possession of a knife by Tsibulansky. The Haifa District Court is handling the case.