Gambling Ring Busted, Suspects Posed as Oct. 7 Wounded

Israeli police have arrested four suspects, including three family members, for allegedly operating illegal gambling dens and engaging in money laundering and extortion. The suspects, who are believed to be connected to a crime family, allegedly ran the gambling operations in Bat Yam and Ramat Gan.

The arrests followed a months-long undercover investigation by the Tel Aviv District Crime Unit, which uncovered evidence of illegal gambling establishments generating millions of shekels. During a raid on two gambling locations, police seized dozens of computers, playing cards, and thousands of shekels in cash.

Further searches of the suspects' homes yielded approximately half a million shekels in cash, jewelry, and luxury vehicles, suspected to be proceeds from the illegal activities. Investigators also suspect the group extorted an individual, threatening them to manage one of the gambling sites.

One particularly unusual finding was a disability certificate found on a suspect who attempted to flee police. Authorities suspect the certificate was obtained fraudulently, with the individual falsely claiming to have been injured and lost a leg during the Hamas attack on October 7. The circumstances surrounding the certificate's issuance are under investigation.

The four suspects, aged 20 to 40, from Holon, Bat Yam, and Ramla, are being questioned, and police intend to seek an extension of their remand. The family members involved are two siblings and their nephew, reportedly operating under the protection of the Abu Ghanem crime family from Ramla.