Jerusalem, 16 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Cyber Unit officers in the Israel Police’s Lahav (Blade) 433 investigation unit (Israel’s version of the FBI) arrested and detained five people (residents of Rishon LeZion and Tel Aviv, in their 30s and 50s) on suspicion of operating an illegal crypto exchange in Rishon LeZion, and seized illegal weapons, drugs, and cash. The arrests came following what the police said was a covert investigation.
Yesterday, Sunday, with the transition to the overt phase of the investigation, police officers and detectives raided the offices and apartments of the suspects in Rishon LeZion. During the searches, a rifle, stun grenades and gas, explosive charges, pistols, ammunition, a substance suspected to be cocaine, and approximately 80,000Sshekels in cash were seized.