Gang Arrested for Extortion and Arson Spree in Central Israel

Police have arrested four suspects in connection with a series of arsons in Holon and Tel Aviv, as well as extortion and assault incidents targeting men. The suspects allegedly lured victims through Telegram to intimate encounters with minors, then attacked them and demanded hundreds of thousands of shekels under threat. The arrests were announced Friday by the police, who stated the four suspects appeared in Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court and had their detention extended until November 4.

Over recent weeks, several buildings in the Tel Aviv district were set ablaze. These included a building lobby in Holon on October 12 and apartments on Ben Yehuda and Yarkon streets in central Tel Aviv. Investigators suspect these arsons were linked to a dispute between criminal elements and were directed at a 41-year-old Tel Aviv resident.

During covert operations on October 12, detectives from the Lahav 433 special investigations unit and the Tel Aviv special patrol unit arrested two suspects for the arsons: a 43-year-old resident of Hadera and a man in his 20s from Rehovot. Their detention was extended by the court. Further investigation identified a third suspect, a 24-year-old Ashdod resident, believed to have orchestrated the arsons and dispatched the other two. He was transferred for interrogation and his detention was also extended.

The fourth suspect, a Tel Aviv resident in his 30s, was arrested on Thursday following developments in the investigation. Police stated that he and the other three detainees are suspected of involvement in extortion by threats, forceful extortion, and aggravated assault. According to the suspicions, the group contacted numerous men via Telegram, arranging meetings with minors. Upon arrival at the designated apartments, the victims were allegedly severely assaulted and threatened into paying hundreds of thousands of shekels. The investigation is ongoing.