Police and prosecutors are set to file the first indictments in the high-profile extortion case known as “The Prince,” with charges expected Friday against five members of the Hariri crime organization, authorities announced on Thursday.
The indictments follow an undercover investigation, which focused on protection rackets and extortion through threats. According to police, prosecutors are set to submit serious charges against the suspects, all allegedly affiliated with the Hariri organization.
Those set to be charged are Marad Hariri, 41, from Umm el-Fahm; Nabil Arian, 31, from Arara; Yosef Hadidja, 33, from Kalansuwa; Mohammed Akel, 37, from Arara; and Murtada Akel, 26, also from Arara.
Investigators say the five were involved in multiple incidents in recent months in which they extorted a victim while threatening harm to him and his family. During the scheme, the suspects allegedly used false identities bearing the Hariri surname, and the victim paid them tens of thousands of shekels in regular monthly payments.
The case is part of a broader police operation that came to light in early December, when hundreds of officers, Border Police troops, and special units raided dozens of targets linked to senior figures in the Hariri and Abu Latif crime organizations.
'Price' operation led to dozens of arrests
The operation, based in part on information provided by a state witness known as “The Prince,” led to the arrest of dozens of suspects across northern Israel.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing, with additional suspects from both the Hariri and Abu Latif organizations still in custody as authorities continue to probe further extortion cases tied to the affair.