South African police said on Thursday that the 46-year-old Israeli was a member of the Abergil gang, involved in drug trafficking and extortion, and was wanted in Israel for several attempted murders. The suspect had been on Interpol’s wanted list since 2015 and had been hiding in South Africa for several years, police said. Seven others were arrested in the raid, according to the statement. Authorities said walls 4 meters (13 feet) high surrounded the house. Among the items seized were 19 firearms, including five rifles and seven pistols. six motorcycles – three of which were reported stolen. a signal jamming device. four drones equipped with cameras. and eight motor vehicles. Also seized was $40,000 (£34,000) in cash and 3kg of suspected crystal meth. One of the vehicles was a van that had been adapted for sniper use and had heavy soundproofing and a chair bolted to the floor designed for torture, the police statement said. The raid was led by Interpol South Africa and special police units. According to Israeli authorities, the suspect is wanted for incidents in 2003 and 2004. He is accused of planting an explosive device under a man’s vehicle in Israel on two separate occasions. From the first explosion, five people were seriously injured. South African police shared photos and videos of the arrest, in which the suspects are seen lying face down with their wrists tied with cables. The Abergil gang has been linked to two brothers who in 2011 were extradited to the US to face charges of murder, money laundering and drug trafficking.
