One of the world's most sought-after Israeli criminals has been arrested in Rio De Janeiro on charges of money laundering and drug trafficking. Israeli crime boss Yoram Elal was taken into custody by Brazilian police on Saturday, along with 12 other suspects also believed to be part of his crime ring. Elal, along with the Israeli Abergil brothers, is also wanted in the U.S. on suspicion of organized crime activities. Get the Israel Hayom newsletter sent to your mailbox! All those taken in by Brazilian authorities are suspected to be members of an Israeli crime ring which took part in illegal gambling and the sale of imported cars for the purposes of money laundering. Elal is the suspected kingpin. He is also the prime suspect in a car explosion in Brazil last year. Elal's lawyer, Sharon Nehari, told Israel Hayom on Saturday, I am aware of his arrest, but I do not have all the details. Elal is familiar with the Brazilian prison system -- he was first arrested in the country five years ago. At that time, the governments of both Uruguay and the U.S. petitioned for his extradition, but neither was successful, and Elal was released in Brazil. Elal began his criminal activities in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, earning profits from gambling and charging protection fees. In 2001, he suffered severe injuries after a car bomb, intended for someone else, exploded as he passed by. Elal's crime boss rival, Assi Abutbul, was arrested in connection with the assassination attempt, but was later released. Elal moved into a secure home in an affluent Herzilya neighborhood not long afterward. In 2003, he was the victim of another assassination attempt, this one explicitly intended for him. A student working as part of his security staff was injured, but Elal escaped unharmed. When reputed mobster Zeev Rosenstein also had his life threatened by an assassination attempt in Tel Aviv at the end of that year, Elal packed his bags and fled for the U.S. In the U.S., Elad became involved in money-laundering schemes. He soon left and went to Uruguay, where he was arrested in 2005. In an elaborate escape, two men with false papers arrived at the prison and convinced authorities that Elal was to be transferred. By the time the ruse was discovered, Elal was already in Brazil. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration lists eight alleged federal violations against Elal, including conspiracy to commit extortion, interference with commerce by threats of violence, transporting monetary instruments for the purpose of laundering money, and money laundering.
