Madrid, Spain – Israeli Chabad Emissary Under Arrest Says Fooled Into Smuggling Cocaine

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    FILE - Control tower of Madrid airport 04 December 2010.  EPA/KAI FOERSTERLINGMadrid, Spain – A Chabad emissary from Safed was arrested in the Madrid airport late last week after being found in possession of four kilograms of cocaine.

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    Though the drugs were stashed in one of his suitcases, his friends told Haaretz he was fooled into smuggling the cocaine.

    Eliyahu Hecht, 57, a father of six who works for the global charity organization Kollel Chabad, was returning to Israel from Costa Rica, where he was fund-raising for a soup kitchen operated by Kollel Chabad in Safed. He was arrested during a stopover in Madrid, and friends say he only managed to contact his family on Monday.

    “He said he was asked by his host in Costa Rica to take a suitcase and deliver it to a woman in Spain,” one of the friends, Uri, told Haaretz. “Eliyahu refused, and then the host started telling him, ‘how dare he suspect him and how dare he refuse after staying under his roof and eating from his table.’ So Eliyahu agreed to the request, but not before checking the suitcase for anything suspicious. It turns out the man still managed to hide the drugs inside.”

    The organization contacted the Israeli Embassy in Madrid at Hecht’s arrest, and Kollel Chabad activists in Safed have begun fund-raising for Hecht’s legal defense and to support his family. They said they asked everyone to contribute as much as they can.

    Rabbi Ze’ev Crombi, who runs the soup kitchen, told Haaretz that Hecht was detained “in very difficult conditions – without kosher food and without tefillin [phylacteries]. He says detention there is worse than hell.”

    “Eliyahu is a good, honest man who did his job faithfully, and it’s impossible for him to have done what they say he did,” Crombi added. “The heart breaks to think of him in that horrific place.” Spanish police and the Israeli embassy confirmed the arrest but declined to provide details on the case.


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    62 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    This is becoming a joke with dire consequences for all yidden. The same excuse was offered by those bochurim in Japan who also claimed they were doing a “favor” for a friend who asked them to take some suitcases. ANYONE who has ever flown on El Al or any other airline knows that you simply don’t carry luggage given to you by someone else no matter how well you think you know them. Clearly, this rav knew what he was doing and his story really lacks credibility.

    berelw
    berelw
    13 years ago

    unfortunately, in todays crazy world one cannot take packages anymore. there is always fedex or dhl.

    Yerachmiel
    Yerachmiel
    13 years ago

    Wow. 4 kg cocaine is about the volume of a gallon jug of distilled water. That is a lot of volume to not notice.

    KevinTheMevin
    KevinTheMevin
    13 years ago

    Drug smuggling is now the new form of fundraising in a recession? I wish him the best of luck and hope he has a yeshua

    Gules
    Gules
    13 years ago

    A simple solution, when you pass with your cases you say this suitcase is being carried for someone else and feel free to inspect it.

    fat36
    fat36
    13 years ago

    if its not my mother or father i dont take NOTHING from anyone.

    thecommissioner
    thecommissioner
    13 years ago

    My heart goes out to the families effected. It is very easy to hide a large amount of cocaine in a suitcase. The Mexican drug cartels are constantly being busted by the DHS with drugs in the suitcase. They take out the “kishkes” of the suitcase, and replace it with rock like substance of coke. With a 25lb. Suitcase, you wouldn’t know the difference. The easiest way the DHS catches these guys is by taking out the contants of a suspected suitcase, only then can you feel the weight diffrence.

    The-Logician
    The-Logician
    13 years ago

    Please. Give the man the benefit of the doubt! Imagine if you were in his shoes… wouldn’t you wish that people believed you? Can you imagine the shame of being falsely accused?

    He is an amazingly honest man. He is the VICTIM here. Let out your anger on the ones who so cruelly took advantage of him!!

    cowfy
    cowfy
    13 years ago

    the moral majority in spain still call the jews the devil.this guys in trouble.

    13 years ago

    Just a few weeks ago someone ( a rabbi and a teacher who i knew) asked me to take powdered Cholov Yisroel milk with me to Australia for a sick baby. I took the milk.

    How can someone politly refuse to take a package without insulting the person?

    LEIVE
    LEIVE
    13 years ago

    Before you make a comment,
    say some tehillim for ELIYAHU RACHAMIM BEN ROCHEL who is innocent and very special and good person.

    I know the one who gave him the suitcase. He is a very suspicious fellow and although Eli was uncomfortable to take the suitcase, he felt obligated to his “host” and therefore he checked all the contents that were placed in the suitcase…… but still fell into this dirty trap (apparently it was hidden in the seams of the suitcase).

    NOW HE NEEDS BIG RACHAMEI SHAMAYIM!

    THIS IS REAL PIDYON SHVUIM!

    fishelD
    fishelD
    13 years ago

    a good idea, somebody asked me a few years ago 2 take a few bottols of taster’s choice coffee 2 canada, i refused and said: ill buy it and ull pay me! y do i have 2 take the bottols from u ? otherwise i dont take anything ! its a good hagdoorah !!

    DRSLZ
    DRSLZ
    13 years ago

    1) Do NOT take packages or suitcases from strangers (ie anyone you would not trust your life with)
    2) If you are asked or told to take a package or a suitcase from a stranger, see rule number 1

    enlightened-yid
    enlightened-yid
    13 years ago

    How many Jews with money are there in Costa Rica that a tzedoka collector is sent there to feed his community IN Israel? Though Costa Rica does have very beautiful beaches and coconuts. You have to know the people that you deal with. A “host” is not a random stranger off the street and you have to establish a certain sense of trust of people that you travel to across the globe to collect monies from. I wish him the best and hopefully the story, no matter how unlikely it sounds, is actually true. And the court believes him.

    4 kilograms of cocaine is not a joke! Average street value in the North East U.S. is $220,000 dollars. 3 gram/8 ball in NYC costs $150. At least he is lucky that he was caught in Spain with “lax” European sentencing penalties. In the U.S. he would be facing 10 years minimum.

    newtransplant
    newtransplant
    13 years ago

    I always tell people to open any parcels I send, or I wrap them in front of them. My husband always opens anything he is asked to take. This guy should have said, before boarding, that he was asked to take this suitcase, he would have had no problem then…..

    zevvy
    zevvy
    13 years ago

    Reply To # 3 Yerachmiel.

    You really seem to know your cocaine but would it not be the same as a one gallon jug of, say, iced tea?

    And, by the way, 4 Kg. is 8.8 lbs. You think almost nine lbs. of cocaine fits in a one gallon container?

    Anon Ibid Opcit
    Anon Ibid Opcit
    13 years ago

    “Worse than hell”

    What a melodramatic liar.

    MayerAlter
    MayerAlter
    13 years ago

    #12 – there is no problem in telling security, El Al or anyone else, that you are carrying a suitcase for someone else. I have done it several times in New York, Tel Aviv and elsewhere. I have no problem if they inspect the baggage in any which way, providing I am prepared to spend the extra 10 minutes this can take at security. If someone I trust and who I want to do the favor for asks me, I always ask them for a letter specifying the contents of the package with their telephone number clearly marked on both the letter and the package. I recently took a gift package for someone to London from Tel Aviv via Frankfurt, as hand luggage. I told Israel security it was not mine and had them seal the package once they had satisfied themselves that it was whreta was written in the letter accompanying it. Frankfurt security opened it and checked it again very carefully. If the sender is genuine and not stupid, he will have no problem with the carrier saying he wants a letter and that he will declare the package at security. If he blanches, you know there is something very wrong.

    jerrygold
    jerrygold
    13 years ago

    In todays day and age, you cannot trust anyone let alone strangers!!!!

    Greener
    Greener
    13 years ago

    Gimme a break. It is time to return to reality. 4 kg is almost 9 pounds. In an empty suitcase that would be noticable. So let’s start the SMR routine all over again: He is a great tzadik, mamosh a godol, and the anti-semites are out to get him. Contribute to the defense fund. Deja vu.

    13 years ago

    When you sleep with dogs you wake up with fleas.

    jerrygold
    jerrygold
    13 years ago

    Sorry, after the tragedy in Japan with the Bochurim, nobody is naive anymore by any stretch of the imagination!!!

    Tzi_Bar_David
    Tzi_Bar_David
    13 years ago

    He’s lucky it was Spain, if it were Indonesia or other countries in east Asia he would be hanged.

    13 years ago

    I am not a chabadnik. But I do not believe that ANY chabad shliach would be involved. I believe Rav Hecht’s story and we must daven for him.

    Point #2 : Does anyone learn Torah? Judging favorably — where is it? This is a yid who is in deep trouble. We must judge him favorably — at least this is the Torah that I learned says.

    Kanaim
    Kanaim
    13 years ago

    I want to know how EnlightenedYid knows so much about cocaine. I wouldn’t know it from Johnson’s Baby Powder.

    eezzee
    eezzee
    13 years ago

    I used to say i can only take for you is a regards. i also stopped that.

    fat36
    fat36
    13 years ago

    if #18 is right its a sticky place to be in. it was his host. how well did he know him?

    Toras-Hashem-Temimah
    Toras-Hashem-Temimah
    13 years ago

    Before you make a comment,
    say some tehillim for ELIYAHU RACHAMIM BEN ROCHEL who is innocent and very special and good person.

    DRSLZ
    DRSLZ
    13 years ago

    I have a relative who is involved with Chabad and on one occasion agreed to take a package, supposedly containing sefarim. He told the customs people in Europe and spent well over an hour being questioned, essentially interrogated.

    He no longer takes any packages for anyone, except for close family, and even then he thoroughly checks the contents–for one thing, ‘mid’var sheker tirchak,’ ie he does not want to lie to EL Al security or anyone else.

    It’s dangerous to agree to take anything from a stranger, notwithstanding the numerous postings on frum websites, “Suitcase to Eretz Yisroel” or whatever.

    Years ago, a pregnant woman was questioned by El Al security in Europe. Something made her seem suspicious. Her luggage, given to her by her Arab boyfriend (who was the father of her unborn child), contained a bomb set to detonate when the plane was airborne). He had told her not to tell El Al security that he had packed the suitcase, not to say anything about him, and he would meet her in New York.

    Those who take a suitcase or package are endangering their own lives, their freedom, and the lives of fellow travellers.

    Having said that, my firm conviction is this guy was duped.

    The-Macher
    The-Macher
    13 years ago

    As a Lubavitcher in a not altogether 1st world location, I was asked to accept a donation of medication from a doctor who happened to be staying in the same hotel as I was. The doctor happened to be a friend of a friend of mine, but nevertheless I think I could have gotten a job with ElAl security after the questioning I put them through before I took the medication to the shaliach in the same city! (It was so legit and there was more than was needed so I actually bought some of it and gave the shaliach first world list price cash instead).

    DO NOT accept packages from ANYONE for ANY reason ANYWHERE without ASKING many questions, and FORGET bringing anything that is not yours on any flight.

    13 years ago

    I believe the man is innocent. I am first of all not a Chabadzca. I believe because the crooks always target the innocent, Somebody who is innocent and has only pure thoughts would never suspect somebody would do such a think without him telling him what is in the package. Unfortunate today there are thieves and crooks DRESSED as Frum people but they are low low lives. The one who did it to this man, the one who did it to the yeshiva bochurim, and even to the ones who do it to there own family

    DavidCohen
    DavidCohen
    13 years ago

    I feel terrible for the Chabad shliach. While none of know the full story (not that that ever actually prevents people from opining), it does appear as though he was taken advantage of. And if that is indeed the case, he should trade his freedom for that of the SOB who set him up, Costa Rica can extradite to Spain.

    Having said that, at some point we all need to learn from these incidents. Always say no. Simple! I travel frequently and do just that, no, sorry, I’d love to, but I cannot. If they need to send something urgent, there is always FedEx or UPS etc.

    stushim
    stushim
    13 years ago

    This is a horrible story… Eli used to live in the US he is a sweet heart of a man who suffered terrible tzarois. After he moved to Israel he was driving his oldest daughter and an Arab pushed his car off the road. His daughter did not make it… now this?!? Hashem Yerachem!

    zevvy
    zevvy
    13 years ago

    In response to #56 ShmuelG.

    I love it when morons are actually smug about their ignorance.

    The flaw in your “logic” (when it comes to hard facts logic doesn’t play a role) is that fluid ounces, as in 128 per gallon, are not at all the same as the dry measure for weight which is, as you so acutely note, 16 oz. per lb. (which is, by the way, abbr. for pound).

    So take a wild guess Mr. Einstein, can you get, for example, 8 pounds of feathers into a one gallon jug? Check with the rumor mill.