WATCH: Israel’s ‘most wanted’ gang leader among eight nabbed in Bryanston

Police have arrested a 46-year-old Israeli fugitive – Israel’s “most wanted” gang leader – and seven others at a house in Bryanston, north of Johannesburg.

It is understood the suspects were handcuffed during a multidisciplinary operation led by Interpol South Africa, Organised Crime detectives, National Crime Intelligence and the Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday.

Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said the Israeli national was on Interpol’s Red Notice from 2015.

‘Most wanted’

“He is a wanted suspect in Israel for conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder,” Mathe said.

“According to Israeli authorities, between 2003 and 2004, the suspect placed an explosive bomb underneath a vehicle of a man in Israel in two separate incidents.

“As a result of the explosion, five people sustained serious injuries but all miraculously survived.”

Bomb attack

Mathe added that in another incident, Israel’s “most wanted” gang leader also attempted to replicate his actions, after placing a bomb on top of a vehicle.

“In this crime incident, three people also sustained serious injuries.”  

“During an early morning takedown operation, the team pounced on an identified address in Bryanston and found the suspect and six others, 12 firearms including five assault rifles and seven pistols, 40 000 US dollars, three suspected stolen motorcycles were seized,” Mathe said.

Kidnapping suspect arrested

Meanwhile, Gauteng police made another breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping, after arresting a 43-year-old man purported to be linked to detained suspected kidnapping kingpin Faizal Charloos.

The suspect was handcuffed on Tuesday during an integrated intelligence-driven operation.

Tip-off

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Robert Netshiunda said authorities received information about the suspect and pounced.

Charloos had a cellphone smuggled into his cell and was using it to communicate with his alleged accomplices on the outside, Netshiunda said.

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