Following weekend raids on an apartment in Netanya and a yacht anchored in the port of Ashdod, the Israel Police have arrested three people with French and Israeli citizenship on suspicion of defrauding French organizations of 10 million Euros, according to Yediot Ahronot.
The investigation was initiated by the French police, who were able to identify that the base of the perpetrators' activities was in Israel, but they could not identify the members of the gang. The heads of the organizations were told by the perpetrators - posing as French officials - that because of the concern of the French government to hold direct dialogue with terrorist organizations who had captured French soldiers in Syria and Mali and pay them ransom money, they appealed to them to transfer the money to the kidnappers. The victims were told to maintain complete discretion and were promised the return the money shortly after the requested amount was transferred to the kidnappers' accounts abroad.