Yaniv Mualem, convicted of running a network of shell companies in the fuel industry, landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning and was immediately taken for questioning, according to reports.
Yaniv Mualem, convicted of orchestrating a massive fuel tax fraud scheme worth hundreds of millions of shekels, landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning and was taken directly for questioning, according to reports. The arrival marks the culmination of an international manhunt that began after Mualem fled Israel during his trial.
The Zioneer reported at 10:35 Jerusalem that Mualem had been extradited from Panama after nearly two and a half years on the run. Earlier reports in the same thread detailed his conviction in absentia for running a sophisticated network of shell companies and straw men that distributed and offset hundreds of fake tax invoices in the fuel industry, causing a loss of approximately 65 million shekels to the state. The court ordered his detention until the end of proceedings, citing a risk of flight.
The scheme also involved money laundering through currency service providers and cash withdrawals, as The Zioneer reported.
Mualem is now in custody and being questioned. Further details on the investigation are expected.
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