TA Court convicts cocaine traffickers

Kibbutz family confessed to charges in exchange for reduced sentence.

By DAN IZENBERG, JPOST STAFF
wine bottles 298.88 (photo credit: Tel Aviv Police)
wine bottles 298.88
(photo credit: Tel Aviv Police)
The Tel Aviv District Court on Sunday convicted Ron and Talia Dotan of Kibbutz Gesher Haziv on charges of charges importing and trafficking in a dangerous drug, possession of a drug not for personal use, manufacture of a dangerous drug, conspiracy to commit a crime and attempting to import a drug. The couple's son Idan was charged with importing a dangerous drug and possession of a dangerous drug not for personal use. According to the indictment, Ron Dotan was approached by a man by the name of Yehuda Sabag who offered him $5,000 to bring three bottles of liquid cocaine from Argentina to Israel. Dotan flew to Argentina on June 12, 2003 and brought the 0.75 litre bottles, that looked like bottles of wine, back to his home on the kibbutz. Later, he handed them over to a man named Gidi in return for $30,000. Dotan brought the money back to Sabag in Argentina and received three more bottles and $5,000 to take home. Back in Israel, a man named Douglas taught Ron and Talia Dotan how to convert the liquid cocaine into powder. After selling the powder, they handed over $30,000 to Douglas. Several months later, Dotan invited two kibbutz members to Argentina for a vacation at his expense and then asked them to bring back three bottles of 'wine' each for his wife. They did so and Dalia Dotan, together with Douglas, converted the liquid into powder. Dotan then sold part of the cocaine powder for $37,000. According to the indictment, Ron and Dalia Dotan continued to smuggle in cocaine and sell it until German customs authorities alerted Israel that two bottles, addressed to Idan Dotan, looked suspicious. Israeli authorities monitored the shipment and uncovered the ring. The Dotan family confessed to the charges. Ron and Talia will serve sentences of eight and a half years and four and a half years, respectively. Due to a dispute between the sides, Idan has not yet been sentenced.