Jerusalem – Two Yerushalmi chareidim were arrested on the allegation that they are involved in smuggling 90,000 ecstasy pills to Japan in April 2008 in which 3 yeshiva students from Bnei Brak and Jerusalem were implicated.
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The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of suspects Benzion Miller by seven days and Yisroel Eisenbach by three days.
Flying from Holland, the three yeshiva students were caught in the Japanese airport with the drugs hidden in a secret compartment of their suitcase. Under interrogation, they claimed that they were conned into taking the package, believing it was an innocent suitcase containing antiquities. They have been incarcerated since their arrest and their trials have just opened in Japan.
The Japanese authorities transferred the yeshiva students’ files to their counterparts in the Investigation Dept. of Tel Aviv police. An exhaustive probe led the police to another two chareidim , Yerushalmis in their mid-twenties, who insist they have nothing to do with smuggling drugs.
One of them claimed in his police interrogation that he also had been asked to take a package abroad containing “antiquities” but he suspected sinister intent and decided not to accept the offer.
In the court hearing, Miller’s lawyer, Atty. Tamir Sonens, said that this is the first time Miller has ever been arrested. “The suspects caught with the drugs in Japan mentioned in their interrogation that they didn’t know it involved drugs.”
Atty. Gil Dachoach, who represents Eisenbach, says about his client, “He is considered a trustworthy person in the chareidi sector. He was the personal driver of the Grand Rebbe of Satmar, and he is a victim like all the others.”
An arrest warrant has been issued for one other suspect who ran away to Europe.
The Lawyer who is representing two out of the three Israelis being held in Japan Attorney Mordechai Tzivin, told VIN News that the arrest of the two Charedim Should prove what he claimed all along that the yeshiva students were duped into this, and are completely innocent.
BARUCH HASHEM . HOPE THEY CATCH ALL THESE ANIMALS . THEY ARE A DIRGRACE TO ALL OF YIDDISHKIEt AND ALL JEWS AROUND THE WORLD . THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DONT TEACH YOUR SON A TRADE . The gemara says so not me!
Im not accusing anyone of the 2 if they were or weren’t involved, that would be foolish since I didnt personally see them handing the drugs over, but these lame excuses try are trying to use, is whats ticking me off. Yes we are looking for a Chraidi that was never arrested before……….. and quite frankly I dont care if you were the driver of Moshe Rabanu himself, if you did this to the 3 boys I want executed then revived and executed again 3 times, you should never deserve a breath of freedom for the rest of your life Mit Dee Langeh Peyois!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If these guys are innocent, may HaShem reveal the true crooks quickly. If, Chas V’Shalom they are responsible for the three boys in Japan’s plight they should rot in Jail for twice as long as the boys in Japan and repay the community the money it has cost to defend the boys in Japan.
Send them to japan let them each in through wat the three boys are suffering together. put them in chairem and let them rott.
INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY – sound familiar?
If they happen to be responsible for the pain & suffering of these 3 bochurim & their families, they should rot in the japanese prisons for 25 years, then they should be hanged in public.
In 2days world we trust NOONE. even your dearest and closest. thank you to the ones who set up the 3 bochurim and many others. i travel alot and have refused packages from my dearest and closest even parents. coz we trust NO ONE!
I think its loshon hora to announce the identity of these people
you all are to aggresive comments and woul this help the situation you all foolish and angry answering like the above
Whoever duped the guys into smuggling drugs lost $3,400,000 on the deal, so you can assume that that someone wasn’t deliberately sending the guys to be incarcerated in Japan. It was irresponsible, and that person is still responsible for what has happened, but give him some slack and don’t accuse him deliberately screwing up 3 innocent lives. Besides, we are still to find out how exactly innocent they were.
#2 Is Rav Elyashivs father and the Steipler also also wrong?
What a SHAME!!!
Who ever the real culprit is G-D will get you. The tears of Klal Yisroel will be heard.
Pidyon Shevuyim and Rachmonos are not for the innocent, they apply to those who are guilty of their crimes!
What is needed more is education, lessons in our community, schools and yeshivos that dina d’malchus dina and all the shtick are illegal, starting from not answering the questions exactly on credit card applications to government programs etc.
And as the Rebbe would say repeatedly, if you have negel (long nails) use it on yourself to improve, not G-d forbid on others! As Jewish men and women are the apple of the eye of the Rebono Shel olam!!!!
This is one of the most difficult shailos of modern history, if they are responsible, they are rodfim,now the din of rodef doesn’t reqire aidim, it is nitan l’hazilo benafsho, in that case if Japan requires Israel hand of the Rodfim, in exchange of the nirdofim,it may be a chiyuv to do so, even though they may get who knows what sentance, or thay may go free because they never actually commited a crime on Japanese soil.
This becomes a very complicated international law case & a very complicated halachic case, it take real gedoilei poskim to filter through . Although my anger also boils, and I want justice if they did it. This world is not perfect, nor truthful, at the moment it is either moitzi shem ra or Loshon hora. If they are rodfim & must be handed over halachicaly & internationaly, & they get what they put these poor soles through, one must also think if they were really aware of the extremety of all this. they will also be yidden bashevi, & require pidyon shevuyim, & yes it will cost money, but our Torah has extreme rachmonus, beyond our understanding.
We all have chatoim that require extreme rachmonus, although not everyone knows.Hamkom yeracheim aleihem veoleinu.
It is very sad that these kids are in jail and we need to all feel for their situation. However, it really doesn’t make a difference to me whether they know there were drugs or if they were smuggling antiques. They knew they were breaking the law! How have we as a people sunk so low that this becomes acceptable? If he is the driver for the Satamar Rebbe he and the Rebbe should be ashamed! It is time for us to evaluate what we stand for. When a person sees a “Chareidi” jew, why should they look at him as a theif? I remember a time (I am already a grandfather B”H) when a frum Jew was looked upon as an honest upright person by the general population. I fear that is no longer the case. Let’s not look for Segulas, Loshon HaRah, or Tznius as the answer to our problems… maybe we should look at what our business practices. Sheker and Geneiva have become acceptable and even lauded as long as your not caught, and if Chas V’shalom you are caught then the world is full of anti-Semites (which it is, but that is no excuse). Cheshbon Hanefesh my friends!
to #13 … is the Gemorah wrong?
This is mamash Pidyon Shevuyim. These two have to be helped from the corrupt Israeli authorities! Zey zenen inzirer!
Before jumping to any conclusions, based on what I have heard from friends in Yerushalayim in the past 10 months or so, these 2 individuals aren’t either the ones that have anything to do with the drugs. They were also duped by another individual, whose name I know but don’t want to be the one posting it, who ran off. He paid these 2 to find them bochurim who were willing to travel and deliver a package. He told the also that the package would contain antiques.. There is no indication that these 2 bochurim knew what the package contained.
If this is true, then they are as innocent as the other 3 bochurim and it is unacceptable to write many things people have written about them.
I still can not beleive that 3 Bochrim would be that STUPID or Nieve to accept that large a sum of money to transport an unknow item in a scret compartment of a suitcase and think it is ok. How many times over are we told do not take anything from anyone. Think about it. Where I to take anything it would only be from someone who I personally have know and I would inspect each of the items I was carrying to make sure nothing was hidden. And even then I’m not sure that I would do it. Remember even carrying cash of more than $10K is illegal unless declared.
another attempt at government assistance……they wont do it again after a few years in the big house
I think I recognize this Miller fellow from the Mir yeshiva neighborhood. Did he learn in the Stoliner BM down the street from Beis Shalom?
I think the argument of being the driver of the satmer rebba, will definitely work in Japan, so he should have no problem if they send him there
Dave and the others,
Maybe you are smarter and better then the rest of us. However, people for some reason don’t suspect wrongdoing by others are therefore agree to take packages from other people not realizing what is really going on.
I myself was once duped by an Israeli relative 20+ years ago. I was returning from Yeshiveh in Jerusalem to the US. A relative asked me if I can take a package for his father. I agreed but first looked in the package. In it I found a medication. I asked my relative what this is and he said it is a medication for migraine headaches. So I asked why his father doesn’t just buy it in Flatbush, where he lives. He responded that this is a very good medicine and you can’t buy it in the US. I looked at the box and it said that it was for migraines so I just took it.
When I gave it to his father he thanked me from the bottom of his heart. So I asked him what is so special about this medicine that he is thanking me so. He told me that this medicine wasn’t approved by the FDA and can only be bought outside the USA and it illegal in the USA and that he must have it because this is the only medicine that takes away his headaches.
Which means, that if the customs police would have stopped me and found me with this medicine, I could have been arrested for transporting illegal substances.
How many of us have taken packages over the years for relatives and have no clue what else was in there, like telephones etc that were just being smuggled in without paying taxes on them?
This all boils down too our young generation being doing anything for money…the real avodah zara! Time to go back to the old roots of “work hard fly right”. We all go through the “system” and never taught the concept of work. We expect everything for nothing. Woe on to our generation. Now we have a financial “holocaust” our way and maybe this will change the way we live!!
Newsflash:
Smuggling is illegal.
Here’s a history lesson
There was a time, in Europe when laws were established to prevent yidden to have ANY Parnassa.
Jews were prevented from becoming tradesmen.
They were forbidden to own property.
That is why they had to become innkeepers, tavernkeepers, etc. The landowners were not Jewish.
There were yidden who felt FORCED to trade illegally, in order not to STARVE.
They understood that this is an exception, and they understood that it was a gezeira rah… that HaShem was forcing them to be dishonest, in order to survive without literally dying of starvation.
Their reaction to this was to DO TESHUVA.
As Yidden we want to be able to answer Yes when we’ll be asked to give din vcheshbon on “nasata vnatata bemuna.”
Once, R’ Levi Yitzchak saw a yid selling fabric that was not brought legally into the country. It was R’ Levi Yitzchak Mi’Barditchev who found a limud zechus.
It was Pesach, and he asked the yid for some chametz.
The yid was horrified.
“How can i have chametz… it’s pesach”?
R’ Levi Yitzchak pushed it.
“Maybe you have just one box of cookies?”
“One slice of bread, maybe?”
“A crumb?”
The yid was adamant. “It’s Pesach. I am sure that I have NO chametz”
The Berditchever said “See Hakadosh Boruch Hu? Your Children are not afraid to get into trouble, to go to jail, to suffer pain and suffering. But they are afraid to have even a crumb of chametz in their houses on Pesach. There’s no threat of jail. There’s no worry that they will lose money. For kiyum hamitzvos they will not take ANY risk”
It’s a beautiful story.
However, some have passed on the story with the WRONG message.
R’ Levi Yitzchak M’Berditchev NEVER SAID it’s OK to smuggle.
APPARENTLY HE FELT A ZECHUS WAS NEEDED.
In the past, anti-semitic laws were set up to prevent Yidden from being True to Torah, and having success.
Terrible tzoros happened
That world was destroyed.
Today, it is legal to do business in most of the world.
It is also legal to teach your children Toras Emes.
How are we doing in that?
lets get real. There is a much larger problem. Bucharim who were expeled from yeshivos & nothing to do are being offered free airfare & vacations w/spending $ to take a suitcase from USA to Europe or back. The fun is great (first hand info).. My son came back from yeshive (UK) many years ago & a chasidihe yugerman offered every buchour $20.00 to take a 12 pack of Beeny Babys to NY saying its worth &20 instead of shipping & paying customs,(Im convinced that the gravel in the toys was replaced) Now tell a buchor or a sem girl not to do a haimishe yid a favor & get a few bucks as well
these guys are the middlemen..who is the head honcho?
The Rabonim before pesach declared that the mastermind, the ones responsible must be reported to the police, and there is no issue at all of messirah. in fact, they said that it is a mitzvah to report them to the police.
This story has become so entangled and twisted. It is almost difficult to understand what happened even though it sounds simple. The first 3 boys were supposed to be innocent because they were going against the law for a different reason, not drugs. In other words they broke the law by knowingly smuggling antiquities and that is fine???
Those three in Japan already admit that they smuggled except it wasn’t drugs!
As far as I know, they didn’t receive any cash. All they got were tickets to Lizensk with a stopover on the way home.
If the three (innocent) criminals arrested in Japan pointed fingers at them i hope it was with a reshus bes din, otherwise these three jail boys are mosrim!
I am saddened that not one of the above comments addresses the fact that ‘frum’ Jews were involved in smuggling illlicit drugs. These drugs maim and kill people worldwide. Have we stooped so low that no one considers, for even a moment, the terrible chillul Hashem involved in seemingly religious Jews being involved in smuggling drugs? Imagine if they were smuggling prostitutes. Would the posts above be any different? Obviously, anyone who is foolish enough to carry unknown materials across international borders, putting the bags on a conveyor belt to be x-rays, deserves our pity. But the monster who sent these boys to transport drugs deserves to be treated as a rodef, someone who is pursuing us to harm us. He has no conscience. He is evil. The sooner our community rids itself of such an evil person, the better.
there is no issue of messirah here. the rabonim already paskened that it is a mitzvah to turn the one behind it in.
The nice thing here that evereybody is perfect and law obeying citizens nobody never speeds higher then the speed limit and nobody drives in the left lane and nobody is jaycrossing …but lots of the comments prove the old word that a litvak has a Tzeilem in the heart ….
The names of those now arrested was common knowledge many months ago. Interestingly enough the families of the 3 bochurim were not moiser them to the authorities. It had to wait until the Japanese authorities provided the information to the Israeli Police.
Our community is a ‘soft’ target for drug pushers. They find it easy to sell drugs to our youth (who are relatively naive–as they have not been taught the dangers of drugs in their schools). They find it easy to exploit our youth’s naivete to smuggle and collude with drug cartels, unwittingly.
And they exploit the kind of attittude of contempt toward the outside world and its rules that would prompt someone to knowingly commit an international crime (in this case, knowingly smuggling across an international border–albeit thinking they were smuggling ‘antiques,’ not drugs, apparently).
We need more shiurim by rabbanim across the spectrum about dinei Choshen Mishpat, including the issur d’oraisa to steal from or to cheat those who are not ‘like us,’ and we need basic lectures to our youth on the dangers of drugs and some of the harsh facts of the ‘real’ world outside.
When it comes to danger, chamira sakanta m’isura.
The satmar Dayan Freidman from Williamsburg said that if a person has a din Rodefh its a mitsvah to turn that person over to the authorities he said that if someone has rachmonis on such people he is just an achzor himself. he sited a gemora Kol hamraicheim al hachzor soifo lehisaczor al harmim .in short there is no room for rachmonis when dealing with criminals
What a Chullil Hashem!!!! now what are the guyim thinking on us yiddisha kinderlach!???
how sad that so many families were destroyed because somone wanted to make a few bucks, I hope its a lesson to our community regarding illegal stuff.
I have been offered free travel by taking bags belonging to strangers to other countries and was told that I could not inspect the bags. Something similar is what probably happened to these boys who were trusting, but naive. May HaShem reveal who the perpetrators are and just be executed to those that are behind these schemes.