5 Jerusalem Arabs Arrested for Gold Smuggling Operation

Five suspects, residents of eastern Jerusalem, were brought before the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on suspicion of smuggling gold coins worth NIS 1.8 million through Ben Gurion Airport. The 5 were released under restrictions.

The Jerusalem Customs and VAT Investigations Department, in cooperation with the Ben Gurion Airport Drugs Unit and the customs inspectors, is conducting an investigation against the five, on suspicion of smuggling gold into Israel.

According to the police, two of the suspects, Amani Golani and Rowan Kusami, were caught, when returning to the country on a flight from Istanbul to Israel, with gold coins weighing a total of 5.7 kg in their possession.

The value of the smuggled coins is estimated at about NIS 1.8 million ($540,000). According to the police, Samir Golani was the mastermind behind the other suspects and managed the smuggling operation. The arrest report also states that the suspects were accompanied by other family members (Samiha and Hamdi Golani) who, according to the suspicion, also took part in the smuggling and removal of the gold.