Eliezer Berland, the leader of the Shuvu Banim community, was arrested by the police on Monday on suspicion of his involvement in murders and disappearances of individuals that occurred in the mid-1980s and early 1990s in the Jerusalem area.
The total of suspects who have been arrested in the past two weeks in connection with the case is now nine.
They are suspected of involvement in the death of 17-year-old Nissim Shitrit, who has been missing since 1986. In addition, they are suspected of the murder of a yeshiva director, Avi Edri, 41, in 1990.
All the suspects, in their 60s and 70s, are members of Berland’s ultra-Orthodox Shuvu Banim cult.
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court has placed a gag order on all other details of the case.
Berland is currently imprisoned after being convicted of fraud and exploitation charges. He has previously served time for sex offenses.