Al-Batuf Council Head Arrested on Extortion Charges; Court Denies Gag Order

Ahed Rahal, the head of the Al-Batuf Regional Council, was arrested on Monday and his detention extended until November 15th by the Haifa Magistrate's Court. He is suspected of involvement in an extortion network that allegedly collected protection money from contractors and construction site owners. Rahal was apprehended as part of a large-scale police operation across the country that led to the arrest of 50 suspects.

The operation, dubbed "Shadow Guardians," followed a ten-month secret investigation by the Central Unit of the Coastal District and the Northern Protection Unit of Lahav 433, in conjunction with the State Prosecutor's Office. Investigators suspect the network used the guise of providing security services to protect construction sites from theft and vandalism, while actually threatening sites to extort payments from owners.

Investigations indicate at least 13 separate extortion incidents, where contractors were asked to pay tens of thousands of shekels per site for alleged security services, with no actual protection provided. Instead, threats of property damage were used to enforce payment.

Approximately 500 police officers, Border Police, and special forces participated in the raids across various locations nationwide, moving the investigation into its public phase. The operation was led by Coastal District Police Commander Yechiel Bohdana and Lahav 433 Unit Head Meni Benyamin, under the supervision of Coastal Police Directorate Commander Yoni Hajj.

Following Rahal's identification as a suspect, the Al-Batuf Regional Council, which includes the towns of Rumana, Arab al-Heib, Al-Azir, and Wadi al-Hamam, issued a statement expressing full confidence in Rahal and support for his family. The council assured the public that daily operations and services continue as usual and urged citizens to rely only on official statements and avoid spreading unconfirmed information.

The court rejected Rahal's request for a gag order on his name and details. The investigation is ongoing, and the suspicions against the detainees have not yet been judicially proven.