Al-Batuf Council Head Denies Involvement in Extortion Ring

Ahed Rahal, the head of the Al-Batuf local council, has vehemently denied any connection to an extensive crime ring involved in extortion and protection rackets, following his arrest on Monday as part of a major police operation. Rahal, who previously served in the Israel Police and received a commendation for preventing a terror attack, stated, "I have no hand or foot in this affair. Not at all. I am disconnected from the whole story, and most of the people they ask me about are not even known to me." He dismissed the allegations, asserting, "I am not suspected of extortion and threats. I did not threaten anyone, nor did I send anyone. They checked my bank accounts, and there isn't even one shekel that came in from outside the field. There are no assets in my name."

Rahal's arrest is part of "Operation Guardian of the Shadow," a large-scale crackdown targeting criminal organizations engaged in collecting protection money. Police suspect Rahal, along with his son, established two shell companies to funnel money obtained through extortion. Another son is currently facing charges in a separate extortion case, and it is alleged that this son, while under house arrest, set up these shell companies with his father.

The operation involved approximately 500 officers and special forces raiding locations across the country, leading to the arrest of dozens of suspects. The investigation, overseen by the State Prosecutor's Office, focuses on about 15 cases of protection money collection in the north, south, and center of Israel. Among those arrested are senior figures in a local crime organization from the Haifa and Krayot area.

Authorities allege that criminals systematically extorted contractors, forcing them to use their security services under the pretense of protecting construction sites. In reality, investigators suspect these services were never provided, yet contractors were compelled to pay tens of thousands of shekels per site. The arrested individuals are being held for questioning, with police expected to seek extensions of their detention at the Haifa Magistrate's Court.