Mafioso nabbed for employing illegal Palestinian workers

Most of the workers in Francois Abutbul's bakery were in Israel illegally without work permits; underworld criminals plot to kill Abutbul.

By MELANIE LIDMAN
francois abutbul wife beater 311 (photo credit: Channel 10)
francois abutbul wife beater 311
(photo credit: Channel 10)
Police arrested Francois Abutbul, a known Netanya underworld criminal, on Thursday after a raid on his bakery found that his workers were illegal.
When police arrived on the premises, they discovered that most of the workers were from the West Bank and in Israel illegally with no work permits. Police decided to detain Abutbul for questioning.
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Abutbul was just released in December after serving two and a half years for assaulting his wife. Since his release, police have been wary of a war breaking out between Israel’s major crime families.
A few days ago, underworld criminals Shalom Domrani and Rico Shirazi were arrested on the suspicion for planning to kill Abutbul. They were released for lack of evidence but served with a restraining order prohibiting them from entering the city of Netanya.
Abutbul will appear in Petah Tikva Magistrates Court on Friday, where police will request to extend his detention.