The Israel Police recently uncovered the theft of over 1.2 tons of medical cannabis from a licensed farm to criminal groups in Israel and arrested four suspects who posed as security guards involved in the crime.
The case emerged in early December when central Israel detectives stopped a suspicious vehicle carrying two men with fake security credentials and 300 kilograms (661 lbs) of medical cannabis. The four suspects were indicted and the farm was shut down.
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Cannabis farm
The investigation found that the suspects used a sophisticated scheme, posing as security personnel legally transporting the drug while actually delivering the stolen cannabis to a secret warehouse in Azaria, a moshav in central Israel near Ramle, where two other accomplices awaited. Police uncovered five such transfers, totaling 1.281 tons.
Due to the severity of the case and public safety risks, Israel Police Central District Commander Deputy Commissioner Yair Hetsroni issued an administrative closure order for the farm, later upheld by the court. The district’s legal advisor also contacted the Health Ministry’s medical cannabis unit, which immediately revoked the farm’s license.
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Following the investigation, prosecutors filed severe charges against the four suspects. Hetsroni called the case “a groundbreaking and unprecedented move for the Israel Police in the fight against organized crime, sending a clear message to all licensed cannabis farms that anyone endangering public safety in this way risks immediate closure, license revocation and full criminal prosecution.”
