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Jerusalem police report the scale of fraud and fraud offenses for which 5 antiquities dealers from eastern Jerusalem were arrested on Sunday morning 7 Av is $20 million. In a search of their homes and businesses, about 800,000 shekels were seized in cash and foreign currency.
In the early hours of the morning, the police raided the homes and businesses of five eastern capital residents suspected of large-scale tax offenses.
A number of months ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted a joint investigation with US enforcement agencies, during which information was transferred to the police and the Israel Tax Authority, according to which some Israeli antique dealers issued receipts and invoices, allegedly “fictitiously” In the last 7 years.
The investigation revealed that the volume of the transactions exceeded $20 million and that the invoices issued by the suspects helped the American agent to receive large-scale tax refunds, with part of the amount received by the last suspect.
This information led to the opening of a covert investigation in which significant evidence was collected using advanced technological means, which led to the establishment of an evidentiary infrastructure against the suspects.
On motzei Shabbos, police raided the houses and businesses of the suspects with the IAA’s Anti-Robbery Unit along with agents of the Tax Authority. During the raid, the suspects were arrested and during a search carried out in their homes and in a store, evidence was found and along with cash in the amount of 800,000 NIS, foreign currency, antiquities, two luxury vehicles, and two bank accounts frozen by investigators.
The antiquities that were seized included ancient parchment pieces written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin, ancient weapons, sculpture items from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, high-level murals, pottery and figurines and many bronze, silver and gold coins.
The suspects will be facing an array of charges including tax evasion, money laundering, and forging documents. The suspects were arraigned on Sunday.
This is a large-scale international operation dealing with major tax crimes, forgery and money-laundering offenses by using antiquities of unknown origin, which was carried out in full cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Tax Authority. Findings and evidence that were used to establish the evidence base against the suspects in Israel and simultaneously in the United States.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: היחידה למניעת שוד, רשות העתיקות)
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One Response
Tax evading law breakers, defrauding the govt. and the buyers of the items. Oh, they’re not Chareidim, they’re Arabs? Oh, sorry we reported this at all…. If you can’t stick it to the Chareidim, is it news?