Brothers Accused of Leading Gang That Controlled Food Deliveries in Kiryat Gat

By איתמר לוין

Translated & summarized from N12 by baba

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Hebrew · 7 newsrooms covering

Brothers שי and מיכאל בנמו, along with associates, have been indicted for allegedly leading a criminal gang that extorted and controlled food delivery businesses in Kiryat Gat. The gang used threats and intimidation to dominate the market, operating through a hierarchical structure. Undercover agents uncovered the operation, leading to charges including conspiracy, extortion, and fraud. The prosecution seeks to detain the defendants, citing extensive evidence of their organized crime activities and criminal histories.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Brothers שי and מיכאל בנמו are indicted for leading a gang that controlled Kiryat Gat's food delivery services.
The gang allegedly used threats and intimidation to extort businesses and delivery drivers in the city.
Undercover agents exposed the criminal operation between December 2025 and August 2026.
Associates אורן דהן, אביאל מרציאנו, and business owner מימון אטדגי are also indicted.
The prosecution seeks to detain the defendants, citing evidence of organized crime and extensive criminal records.

Brothers Accused of Leading Gang That Controlled Food Deliveries in Kiryat Gat — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

The State of Israel has filed indictments against brothers שי בנמו and מיכאל בנמו, who allegedly led a criminal gang that terrorized business owners in Kiryat Gat by taking control of food delivery services. The indictments also name associates אורן דהן and אביאל מרציאנו, along with business owner מימון אטדגי, who allegedly joined the gang's management. According to the prosecution, the "בנמו gang" operated hierarchically, with שי בנמו at the top, directing his brother מיכאל and other members. They are accused of operating with secrecy to conceal their involvement in criminal activities, including extortion and threats against businesses, delivery drivers, and others in the food delivery sector.

The gang allegedly took over אטדגי's delivery business in 2016 and two years later placed him at the forefront of their operations, with מרציאנו managing behind the scenes to shield the בנמו brothers. The alleged crimes were uncovered by undercover agents between December 2025 and August 2026, who posed as delivery drivers and business owners seeking to enter the Kiryat Gat market. A fictitious company, "עולם המשלוחים" (World of Deliveries), was established as part of this ruse.

שי בנמו is charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, extortion, and threats. דהן, מרציאנו, and אטדגי face charges including conspiracy, extortion, obtaining property by deception, aggravated robbery, and obstruction of justice. The latter three are listed as prosecution witnesses against the בנמו brothers, suggesting potential plea bargains. The prosecution is seeking to detain all defendants until the end of proceedings, citing evidence from undercover agents, victim testimonies, and intercepted communications that reveal the gang's operational mechanisms, including instructions, financial dealings, and the use of intimidation to control the delivery market.

The State highlighted שי בנמו's extensive criminal record, including convictions for violence, property crimes, drugs, fraud, and money laundering. מיכאל בנמו has a prior record for weapons offenses and reckless driving. The prosecution described the operation as an "organized crime network" that infiltrated the city's delivery landscape, turning every restaurant into a potential point of control and every driver into a possible informant, thereby stifling competition and consolidating the gang's grip on the industry.