Israeli Police Charge Man in Violent Extortion Case in Northern Golan Village
A new violent extortion case has emerged in the village of Bukata in northern Golan Heights, just days after authorities exposed a related extortion scheme that led to a double murder there. The Northern District Prosecutor's Office filed serious charges against 29-year-old Ahmad Nasar, a resident of Bukata, accusing him of extortion by threats and weapons offenses. The indictment is based on evidence including a recorded phone call in which Nasar threatens, "The grenade was just the beginning, tomorrow I will puncture your house."
According to the indictment, the victim had borrowed hundreds of thousands of shekels from Nasar but delayed a payment in May. Nasar then decided to extort the victim and his father. Nearly two months ago, at around 1:30 a.m., Nasar threw a stun grenade at the victim's family home. To conceal his identity, he used multiple disposable phone numbers. In WhatsApp voice messages, Nasar threatened further violence, warning he would harm the victim's daughters and damage the family's honor if the debt was not repaid.
Hours after the grenade attack, Nasar confronted the victim's father in nearby fields, admitted to throwing the grenade due to the son's debt, and demanded the sale of a land plot to cover the debt. When the father refused, Nasar forced him to transfer ownership of a Rubicon Jeep valued at about 180,000 shekels to a car lot Nasar controlled, falsely claiming the vehicle was worth 150,000 shekels and promising to return the balance after deducting 70,000 shekels for the debt. In reality, Nasar kept all the proceeds for himself.
Following the indictment, Northern District Commander Superintendent Shlomi Tubul condemned the incident as a serious case of extortion involving violence and intimidation. He emphasized that police are determined to act decisively against criminals using threats or weapons to advance illegal interests, warning that offenders will be arrested and prosecuted. Nasar remains in custody pending trial.
This case highlights ongoing concerns about the normalization of violent criminal tactics in the Golan region, with authorities continuing to investigate and combat such threats to public safety.
