Israeli Drug Offender Daniel Amona Dies in Peruvian Prison After Years of Incarceration

Daniel Amona, a 62-year-old Israeli drug offender from Petah Tikva, died on Sunday in a prison in Peru after being incarcerated there for about three and a half years. Amona was arrested in January 2023 at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima when Peruvian anti-narcotics police found cocaine hidden inside a wooden picture frame in his luggage. His son, Lior Amona, was also arrested in Israel months later in connection with a case involving the import of carpets from Peru concealed with approximately 1.4 kilograms of cocaine.

Amona's criminal history spans several decades and countries, including a controversial murder case in the Netherlands. He was convicted in 2017 for the 1990 murder of Miriam Sharon, an Israeli woman in The Hague, but his conviction was overturned in 2021 due to insufficient proof of premeditation, leading to his acquittal. The murder case remains unsolved.

Following his acquittal in the Dutch case, Amona was later detained in Peru on drug charges. He remained imprisoned there until his death. His arrest in Peru was carried out by the National Police's anti-drug administration (DIRANDRO). The discovery of cocaine concealed in his luggage led to his prolonged detention abroad.

This marks the end of a long and complex criminal trajectory involving drug offenses and a high-profile murder investigation, with Amona's death closing the chapter on his legal battles and incarceration overseas.