Five Indicted in Kiryat Gat Food Delivery Extortion and Takeover Ring
State prosecutors filed indictments against five Kiryat Gat residents for allegedly running a decade-long extortion ring that seized control of the local food delivery sector through threats and violence.
The investigation into the takeover of the food delivery sector has expanded from Ashdod to Kiryat Gat, as the State Attorney's Office filed two indictments at the Beersheba District Court against five local residents. They are accused of seizing control of the city's delivery market through extortion, threats, and intimidation against business owners and couriers over nearly a decade.
The Charges and Operation
The defendants are identified as brothers Shay and Michael Banmo, Oren Aharon Dahan, Aviel Marciano, and Maimon Atdgi. According to the indictments, the Banmo brothers headed a criminal group dubbed the "Banmo Gang," deciding in 2016 to monopolize the delivery sector in Kiryat Gat.
Business owners were pressured to operate under the brothers' patronage and instructions. Two owners reportedly gave up their businesses out of fear, while another was forced to pay a monthly fee of 4,000 shekels. After his motorcycle tires were slashed, he had to significantly cut back his operations.
"We are the only company in town, you cannot recruit couriers or open a delivery line here," Marciano told one of the victims, according to the court filings.
Threats and Intimidation
Prosecutors stated that Atdgi was registered as the nominal owner of the delivery business to conceal the brothers' involvement, while Marciano managed operations behind the scenes. Dahan was responsible for passing instructions and collecting profits.
In May, after a courier demanded owed money, Atdgi allegedly threatened him by saying he would cut off his head and shoot him. Atdgi and another masked individual later confronted the courier, brandished a firearm, and stole his scooter. The terrified courier withdrew his police complaint and fled Kiryat Gat for several months.
The State Attorney's Office has requested that the defendants be held in custody until the end of proceedings. The charges include extortion by threats, conspiracy to commit a crime, and robbery under aggravating circumstances.
