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Two Israeli Women Released on Bail in Poland After Khat Smuggling Arrest
A court in Krakow, Poland, has released two young Haredi Israeli women on bail after they spent three and a half months in detention for attempting to smuggle 100 kilograms of khat. The women, aged 23 and 24, were arrested on June 19 after arriving on a flight from Israel, with each carrying 50 kilograms of the substance in her luggage.
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What happened
- 01Two Haredi Israeli women, aged 23 and 24, were released on bail in Krakow, Poland, after three and a half months in detention.
- 02The women were arrested on June 19 after arriving on a flight from Israel with 100 kilograms of khat divided between their suitcases.
- 03Khat is classified as an illegal and dangerous drug in Poland and the European Union.
- 04Smuggling this quantity of khat is a serious offense in Poland, carrying a potential prison sentence of 3 to 23 years.
- 05The court imposed weekly police supervision and a travel ban, preventing the women from leaving Poland until their trial concludes.
- 06Their Polish lawyer, Wit Steidler, expressed surprise at the release but argued the act was a careless mistake by first-time offenders.
- 07Israeli lawyer Mordechai Tzivin joined the defense team voluntarily to assist the two women.
- 08The case is linked to a broader trend of criminal networks recruiting and exploiting young Israelis as drug mules.
Under Polish and European Union law, khat is classified as a prohibited and dangerous drug. Smuggling such a large quantity is considered a serious criminal offense, carrying a potential prison sentence of 3 to 23 years upon conviction.
The court accepted the argument presented by their Polish lawyer, Wit Steidler, that the women posed no danger and that continued detention was unjustified for young, first-time offenders. While Steidler expressed surprise at the decision given the severity of the charges, the judge replaced their custody with weekly police supervision and a travel ban preventing them from leaving Poland until their legal proceedings conclude.
Israeli lawyer Mordechai Tzivin, who specializes in representing Israelis facing legal issues abroad, joined the defense effort voluntarily. The case highlights a broader trend of criminal organizations exploiting young Israelis as drug couriers to smuggle substances into Europe.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: Ynetnews. Read Ynetnews’s original
The coverage
3 newsrooms on this story
Who covered it
- LeftNone
- Centre1
- RightNone
- Haredi2
- ArabNone
Not in the Left, Right or Arab press