Israeli Prison Officer Suspected of Obstructing Murder Investigation in Benyahu Razi Case

The manhunt continues for the main suspect in the murder of Benyahu Razi, Aviaor Sasson, as Israeli police intensify operational and intelligence efforts to locate and arrest him. In a joint operation between the Jerusalem District Crime Fighting Unit and the Israel Prison Service (IPS), a 34-year-old IPS officer from Hod Hasharon was arrested on suspicion of obstructing the murder investigation and breach of trust by aiding an inmate connected to the fugitive suspect. The officer serves at a central Israel detention facility where a close relative of the suspect is incarcerated, and is believed to have maintained personal contact with the inmate, collaborating to hinder the investigation and assist the suspect. The officer was taken for questioning at the Jerusalem Crime Fighting Unit headquarters, with decisions pending on possible court proceedings. Rotem Hila Zaken, head of the investigative bureau in the Zion area, emphasized that the search for the suspect is ongoing around the clock and that authorities will pursue anyone involved in the crime or aiding the suspect’s escape to ensure justice is served. The IPS highlighted its intelligence division’s effectiveness in uncovering serious offenses within prisons and reiterated its zero-tolerance policy toward such violations, including expanding polygraph testing measures under the leadership of the IPS Commissioner.