The Tel Aviv District Court convicted four Gazans Wednesday of robbing a Brink's truck in the Israeli-Arab city of Tira four years ago. Moti Cohen, the security guard on duty at the city's Hapoalim Bank, was killed in the heist.
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The four were convicted of murder, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit a felony, and possession of weapons.
The incident occurred in December 2004. The Brink's truck arrived at Tira's Bank Hapoalim in order to supply the branch with cash, secured and driven by 50-year-old Moti Cohen. Two guards were unloading the money when five armed men arrived and began to fire at them.
The robbers escaped with NIS 3 million in cash, as well as the security guards' weapons, in a getaway car. As they were escaping, however, they crashed their vehicle into a light pole just a kilometer away
from the scene of the crime. They abandoned the car and proceeded on foot.
In the aftermath of the heist Cohen was found shot to death, and the other security guard was found injured.
The judges determined during the trial that the four cooperated in the planning and execution of the heist and arrived at the scene equipped with a number of different firearms. They agreed ahead of time on the function of each member, and decided that they would employ fire-power if necessary.
Two years ago the fifth defendant, Iman Naser of Gaza, was convicted of Cohen's murder. He received a sentence of life in prison plus ten additional years. The judges condemned his actions, which resulted in the death of a father of four.
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