Major Israeli Firm Pays Hundreds of Thousands for Security but Gets No Guards
A major public company in southern Israel pays hundreds of thousands of shekels to a security firm to fend off protection rackets, but reports that no guards ever show up at its facilities.
A major public company operating in southern Israel has revealed that it pays hundreds of thousands of shekels to a security firm to protect its sites from local protection rackets, yet no security guards ever show up at the facilities.
Following the growing threat of extortion and protection rackets in the Negev region, the company decided to hire a specialized security firm to prevent Bedouin criminal elements from demanding protection money at its operational sites. However, according to information provided by the company, despite paying hundreds of thousands of shekels, the security guards are completely absent.
A senior executive in the company stated:
"We are paying hundreds of thousands of shekels for security, without any guards. If you walk around our facilities, there are absolutely no guards present."
Despite the lack of physical security, the executive noted that no significant thefts have been recorded at the company's sites recently.
Police Crackdown vs. Reality on the Ground
In recent months, the Israel Police has been working to combat protection rackets and extortion in the south. Several criminal suspects from the Bedouin sector have been arrested on suspicion of extorting businesses in the region. Despite these law enforcement efforts and arrests, testimonies from the field indicate that virtually every construction contractor in the southern region is still forced to pay protection money to criminal elements.
Recent Indictments
In July, the State Attorney's Office filed an indictment in the Beer Sheva District Court against Mohammad Abu Ja'far, 18, of Beer Sheva, and Anas Abu Assa, 18, of Tel Sheva, for extorting a local kiosk.
According to the indictment, filed by Attorney Idan Ivgi of the Southern District Attorney's Office, Abu Ja'far approached a kiosk employee in April, introduced himself as the person "responsible for security" in the area, and demanded weekly payments. He threatened to burn down the kiosk if the business refused to pay.
Fearing for the business, the employee handed over approximately 4,000 NIS from the cash register on four separate occasions. Additionally, Abu Ja'far repeatedly took products from the kiosk without paying, while the intimidated employee refrained from demanding payment.
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