Two Tel Aviv firms were raided Sunday by Israel Police and Tax Authority officers after an undercover investigation found that the companies may have been financing terrorists.
The offices of Shintraco Ltd. and Maayan Tax Services Ltd. were at the center of an extensive probe carried out in 2006 by a multi-agency team. The Ministry of Defense, General Security Services (GSS, or Shin Bet), Israel Police International and Serious Crimes Unit, Israel Money Laundering Authority and Tax Authority were all involved in the investigation.
Shintraco, a Ramat Gan-based firm which imports food products, is alleged to have ignored Ministry of Defense recommendations to cease business contacts with Abu Aker, a Palestinian Authority food importing company.
Maayan Ltd. is a company that provides consultation services on customs and value added tax (VAT) payments. Sources at the company said the investigation was focused primarily on Shintraco. Maayan Ltd. coordinated business matters between Shintraco and Abu Aker, however, the company denies it had knowledge of terrorist involvement in the PA firm.
According to a Ynet report, Abu Aker was banned in 2005 from doing business in Israel, after reports surfaced that the company was laundering money for Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Several employees from both firms were taken by investigators for questioning; the CEO of Shintraco, unnamed in media reports on the investigation, was arrested on the charges.
The offices of Shintraco Ltd. and Maayan Tax Services Ltd. were at the center of an extensive probe carried out in 2006 by a multi-agency team. The Ministry of Defense, General Security Services (GSS, or Shin Bet), Israel Police International and Serious Crimes Unit, Israel Money Laundering Authority and Tax Authority were all involved in the investigation.
Shintraco, a Ramat Gan-based firm which imports food products, is alleged to have ignored Ministry of Defense recommendations to cease business contacts with Abu Aker, a Palestinian Authority food importing company.
Maayan Ltd. is a company that provides consultation services on customs and value added tax (VAT) payments. Sources at the company said the investigation was focused primarily on Shintraco. Maayan Ltd. coordinated business matters between Shintraco and Abu Aker, however, the company denies it had knowledge of terrorist involvement in the PA firm.
According to a Ynet report, Abu Aker was banned in 2005 from doing business in Israel, after reports surfaced that the company was laundering money for Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Several employees from both firms were taken by investigators for questioning; the CEO of Shintraco, unnamed in media reports on the investigation, was arrested on the charges.