Undercover police posing as schnorrers at the Kosel on Monday arrested suspects who allegedly were shaking down the beggars, demanding a cut of their daily earnings or pay the consequences, threatening them with bodily harm.
Police report a group of "four religious thugs? were shaking down schnorrers at the Kosel, threatening them with harsh physical violence, earning NIS tens of thousands.
The investigation began about six months ago as a result of complaints filed with police in the Old City, that beggars at the Kosel were becoming too aggressive and bothering mispalalim during davening. A relatively new law prohibits schnorrers from collecting at the Kosel itself, permitting them to seek tzedaka in the plaza areas only.
Police decided to go undercover to get a first hand look and as a result, learned of the shakedown operation which netted the extortionists handsome profits on the backs of the schnorrers. The suspects demanded 50% of the day�s collections, police report.
Arrested were Michael Levy, Omer Shuah and Chaim Avitan. A fourth suspect remains at large but police expect to apprehend him in the coming days.
The suspects deny the allegations against them and defense attorney Shaul Ezra claims his clients were physically assaulted during interrogation and he plans to file a complaint against police. Police deny any such occurrence.
(Yechiel Spira � YWN Israel)
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=26941
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