Israeli police have arrested Aviv Abutbul:
Abutbul was charged with possession of an improvised gun loaded with a bullet and a silencer. He is the third underworld figure to be charged with possession of a firearm and silencer in recent weeks, after Nissim Alperon, brother the late Ya'acov Alperon, and Amir Mulner, who is a suspect in Aleron's car-bomb slaying last month, were arrested under similar charges.
Aviv is the son of Netanya-based crime family head Charlie Abutbul. Charlie was shot by two gunmen last September in an incident that also wounded three bystanders.
Earlier this week Nati Ohayon, the 27-year-old brother-in-law of Francois and Asis Abutbul, was assassinated by gunmen who fled on a motorcycle as he sat with an associate in his car.
On Wednesday "Netanya police launched a series of raids on organized crime hubs . . . targeting three gambling houses and searching the homes of suspects who launder money for crime organizations":
The move came as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held a special meeting in his office to discuss the battle against organized crime. The police action in Netanya was joined by the Central Unit's Special Patrol Officers and Border Police officers, who recovered a large number of checks, documents, computers and diaries "showing suspicious criminal financial activities," police said. Drugs of various kinds were also seized in the raid, as well as weapons and items police suspect are stolen. Five suspects said to be linked to organized crime were also charged with traffic offenses, police added.
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