A serious indictment was filed Monday against 10 defendants accused of operating a gray-market lending, protection and gambling network in Migdal HaEmek, allegedly directed by convicted criminal Assaf Buskila from a public telephone inside Shata Prison.
Buskila, who is serving an eight-year sentence for involvement in two attempted underworld killings, allegedly ran the operation with the help of two senior associates, Adir Ben Hamo and Meir Amar. Prosecutors said the group operated for four years and handled about NIS 3 million.
According to the indictment, the network included an online gambling site called 50BET, an apartment used for gambling where a roulette wheel was allegedly manipulated remotely to cheat players, and loans carrying annual interest rates of up to 180%.
The indictment was filed by attorneys Shani Malul and Tehila Burns of the Northern District Prosecutor’s Office. It alleges that borrowers and gamblers who fell into debt were subjected to severe threats and violence. In one case, members of the group allegedly unleashed an attack dog on a debtor.
The victim, identified as Ze’ev, had accumulated a debt of about NIS 100,000 after gambling on the website and at the apartment operated by the defendants. Prosecutors said he was summoned to the apartment in Migdal HaEmek after being led to believe he had been called there to operate gambling games.
Once he entered, several gang members allegedly locked the door and set a German shepherd named Max on him. The dog bit him repeatedly, severely injuring his arms and legs as punishment for the growing debt. Following the attack, Ze’ev paid the defendants tens of thousands of shekels.
Buskila allegedly managed the organization from his prison cell rather than from an office in Migdal HaEmek. He had previously been associated with the crime organization of Ziv Alush, who has ties to crime bosses Shmulik Harush and Michael Mor.
About five and a half years ago, Buskila was arrested on suspicion of involvement in two attempted killings in Yokneam and Beit Shemesh, including one case in which an explosive device was planted beneath a vehicle. He was later sentenced to eight years in prison, but intelligence reportedly indicated that he continued building his criminal influence from behind bars.
(Photo: Andrew Angelov / Shutterstock)
According to the indictment, Buskila spoke with his associates outside prison on a daily basis and personally threatened debtors. When an inmate named Shimon accumulated a gambling debt of NIS 60,000, Buskila allegedly told him by phone: “Listen, Shimon, are you going to transfer your money or not? As far as I’m concerned, transfer the money meant for your brother’s children. I don’t care. Don’t make me step on your face. Don’t worry, I’ll see what we can do with your parents.”
The alleged collection methods included further threats. When Khaled, a resident of Kafr Manda, struggled to repay a debt of NIS 44,000, he was allegedly told: “We know where you live. We’ll come to your village and get you.”
Another debtor, identified as Nissim, allegedly received a message from Amar saying: “I’ll get you at home or at work. I’ll come all the way to your workplace. You know I know exactly where you are.”
In a request to keep the defendants in custody until the end of proceedings, prosecutors described extortion by threats as a nationwide scourge.
“A reality in which innocent civilians are brutally extorted by criminals cannot coexist with the rule of law and effective governance,” the prosecution said.
The three central defendants face charges including extortion by force, extortion by threats, aggravated assault, attempted aggravated bodily harm, conspiracy to commit a crime, money laundering and tax offenses.