Caucasian Crime Boss Yanis Yusubiev Killed in Broad Daylight Near Caesarea Gas Station

Yanis Yusubiev, the head of the Caucasian mafia, was assassinated on Sunday in a shooting outside a restaurant at a gas station complex near Caesarea. According to initial reports, Yusubiev arrived at the location with several associates for a meeting. As he exited the restaurant and approached his car, a gunman waiting by the entrance shot him at point-blank range. He was critically wounded and despite resuscitation efforts by Magen David Adom paramedics, he was pronounced dead at Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera.

Yusubiev was a well-known figure in organized crime, particularly in the Hadera area, where he had amassed significant power over recent years. His name has been linked to numerous criminal cases and violent disputes. Earlier this year, upon returning to Israel, he was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport by the Coastal District Central Unit on suspicion of plotting against a rival. He was subsequently banned from entering areas south of Haifa and north of Netanya for two weeks.

In August 2023, Yusubiev was arrested on suspicion of shooting at a partner of a prominent real estate entrepreneur in Hadera, related to a debt dispute of about one million shekels. In October 2023, he was also detained for involvement in a series of arsons targeting over 40 vehicles in Or Akiva and Hadera, six of which were completely burned. The motive appeared to be a conflict between Yusubiev and a police intelligence officer. During a police raid on Yusubiev’s restaurant and event loft, tensions escalated when one intelligence officer attempted to shake Yusubiev’s hand, but another refused and insulted the officer, declaring "Or Akiva will burn now."