Police surprise: Beit She'an shop clerk exposed as head of drug network
A Beit She'an resident in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. While analyzing his phone, police discovered he was using his workplace at a local store to conduct drug deals, viewing the activity as a source of "supplementary income."
An investigation into domestic violence at the Beit She'an police station has led to the exposure of extensive drug trafficking activity, it was learned on Monday. A local resident in his 50s, employed at a well-known alcohol store in the city, was arrested in early July on suspicion of beating and threatening his wife. When his mobile phone was submitted for technological analysis, investigators uncovered details that stunned even the veteran officers.
According to the indictment filed at the Magistrate's Court in Tiberias, the defendant used his workplace and daily customer interactions to conduct drug deals, some of which took place inside the store. One of the charges specifies that the defendant sold cannabis to a 17-year-old minor.
Drug trafficking as "supplementary income"
Chief Warrant Officer Kfir Avitan, a technological investigator at the Beit She'an station, stated that there were no initial indications of drug involvement, as the phone was originally scanned solely to search for evidence of domestic violence.
"While scanning the data, numerous correspondences concerning drug trafficking suspicions suddenly popped up. As I went through the data, I noticed customer after customer. We realized we had reached a man who, beyond the violence, was managing extensive drug sales—we are talking about dozens of cases," added Avitan.
When asked why the suspect engaged in trafficking alongside his job, Avitan replied: "It was a kind of supplementary income. He worked at the store until his arrest. We documented dozens of deals where he would instruct customers on how to reach him and supply the drugs systematically."
Confrontation and assault
Police noted that a separate indictment was filed against the suspect for acts of violence. According to the details, the attack was preceded by a confrontation after the woman received a Facebook message from another man and told her husband she "would not cheat like him." In response, the defendant threw her phone, and when she tried to retrieve it, he punched her in the face and knocked her to the floor.
The victim suffered significant injuries, including bruises on her face and leg, as well as scratches on her neck. The indictment further reveals that in the months leading up to the incident, he had repeatedly threatened to kill his wife and bury her.
He now faces a series of charges, including assault causing bodily harm, threats against a partner, trafficking in dangerous drugs, conspiracy to commit a crime, and inducing a minor to use drugs.
