Police officers held for tip-offs to senior crime figure

Cops allegedly warned mobster about impending raids against brothels in his control.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
police car 298.88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
police car 298.88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
Details emerged on Wednesday of an elaborate criminal scheme to turn police officers into informants on behalf of lawbreakers. The details were presented at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, which extended the custody of two intelligence coordinators from the Tel Aviv police's Central Unit by two days. The officers are accused of accepting cash bribes to tip off a "serious criminal" who runs brothels, and passing on intelligence in ways which are reminiscent of double agents depicted in the Hollywood film The Departed. A third police officer and four civilians identified by police as "criminals" were also arrested on Tuesday. During the custody hearing, detective Binyamin Tzavir of the Justice Department's Police Investigations Department presented Magistrate Malka Aviv with a secret report which detailed how the intelligence officers alerted the senior criminal about future actions against brothels, and against illegal casinos. Tzavir said the investigation was still in its beginning phases, and asked Aviv to keep the suspects in custody to allow the investigation to proceed unhindered. The detective also said one of the suspects passed along at least "three relevant messages" to the crime figure, adding that police had made recordings to document the offenses. The Central Unit in every police jurisdiction is mainly tasked with solving serious crimes and tackling organized crime. The Police Investigation Department said on Tuesday that the arrests marked the end of a long undercover investigation which began when "senior elements" in Tel Aviv's Central Unit alerted the PID to the suspect officers.