Three suspects were arrested yesterday (Monday) in Jisr az-Zarqa, an Israeli Arab town on Israel's northern Mediterranean coastal plain north of Caesarea. on suspicion they had taken control of a public stretch of beach in a national park, extorted protection fees from beachgoers, employed an illegal resident and were in possession of drugs in quantities not for personal use.
The suspects are being questioned on charges of extortion, forcible acquisition of real estate, operating a business without a license, tax offenses, criminal trespassing, and drug trafficking.
According to the allegations, the individuals operated for a long period after invading and taking control of a stretch of beach in the national park. With the transition to an overt investigation, police raided the fishing harbor complex in their village and arrested the three suspects.
During the raid, an illegal resident who was allegedly employed at the site was detained, and drugs in quantities not for personal use were seized. Additional enforcement bodies simultaneously raided the suspects' businesses.