The Licensing Committee for Private Investigators and Security Services at the Ministry of Justice has decided to revoke the license of the security firm 'Alufim BeBitahon Ltd.' This decision was reached in light of criminal and intelligence information linking the company and its security organizers to criminal activity involving extortion and money laundering. According to reports, this information led the Northern District Attorney's Office to file an indictment against them for these offenses.
According to the committee’s statement, the decision was based on a review of administrative information and evidence presented by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The process was conducted with the guidance of the Civil Enforcement Unit at the State Attorney's Office, the Northern District Attorney's Office, and the Ministry of Justice’s Legal Bureau, in cooperation with the Israel Police. A hearing process was also held for the companies and their owners. The gathered information revealed, among other things, that clients described being forced to pay for security services, with threats of damage if they failed to do so. Furthermore, in many cases, despite the payments, no actual security was provided at the sites; the payments essentially served as a 'tax' collected by criminal figures known as 'Raisas'.
The indictment alleges that the company and those involved actively approached contractors and business people, presenting themselves as representatives of security firms or as individuals in charge of specific areas, and negotiated payment terms based on the business owners' fears for their property. The committee concluded that the security firm served as an accounting front for criminal activity across the country, characterized by the division of geographical zones where protection fees are extorted.
It was noted that several months ago, the Ministry of Labor decided to suspend the company’s licenses to operate as a manpower contractor and service contractor in the fields of guarding, security, and cleaning, also due to similar information. The Department for the Regulation of Professions at the Ministry of Justice explains that this decision is part of a recent series of similar actions in which licenses of other security firms and organizers have been revoked due to direct or indirect involvement in protection money extortion. These administrative and economic enforcement measures are seen as a significant component in the fight against the phenomenon of extortion, which has become a widespread national issue, utilizing business entities and security firms as covers for illegal activity.