One of paintings with opium
Photo: Courtesy of Tel Aviv Police
Chief Superintendent Yedidya Sabag
Photo: Yaron Brener
8.5 kg of opium smuggled from Turkey
Drug worth some NIS 500,000 hidden in shipment of paintings addressed to fabric store owner in south Tel Aviv; man arrested
The police have seized 8.5 kilograms (19 pounds) of opium smuggled in a shipment of paintings from Turkey, it was cleared for publication Monday.
The police also seized some 250 grams (8 ounces) of opium and large sums of money found in an apartment in Holon and arrested the man living there.
The shipment was addressed to the owner of a fabric store in south Tel Aviv, who the police suspect was involved in drug trafficking. The man was arrested and taken in for questioning.
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The seized drugs are said to be worth NIS 500,000 (about $135,000).
The police have been watching the fabric store owner for quite a while now after receiving intelligence information. "The man lived a modest lifestyle and did not stick out," said Chief Superintendent Yedidya Sabag. "He appeared to be running a small fabric business, but made his big profit from drug dealing."
As they watched the store and collected intelligence, the investigators discovered that the man was importing opium from Turkey. The police estimated that he had succeeded in bringing in several shipments which had not been seized, and waited impatiently for the next one.
The long wait and surveillance work paid off last Friday, when the drug unit at the Ben-Gurion Airport customs informed the police about a delivery of paintings from Turkey addressed to the suspect.
When the police received the package, they found cans of opium concealed between the paintings' ceramic tiles. Some of the opium was removed by the police and the paintings were returned to the package.
On Sunday, at around 11 am, a messenger arrived at the store with the paintings. A team of detectives followed the delivery and additional teams deployed around the building. They let the messenger deliver the package and let the suspect sign for it, and just as he was about to open it they entered the store and arrested him.
At the same time, another team arrived at an apartment in Holon and arrested another man, who the police suspect was involved in the drug smuggling.
"We are talking about a large amount of opium which entered the Tel Aviv area," Chief Superintendent Sabag concluded. "By arresting the suspect we believe we have managed to block a key smuggling route into Tel Aviv."
