Last update - 00:00 06/03/2007
Police and Tax Authority join forces to fight organized crime
By Jonathan Lis and Moti Bassok, Haaretz Correspondent
The police, Justice Ministry and Tax Authority on Monday unveiled a joint intelligence unit at National Police Headquarters to fight organized crime.
The center, which will enable the three bodies to pool intelligence, is meant to overcome the difficulties in intelligence collaboration caused by existing legislation.
The attempts of investigators from one of these bodies to obtain intelligence from the others have caused long delays that hindered their work.
Now for the first time, representatives of the Tax Authority, Money Laundering Prohibition Authority and police will work together under the same roof, pooling resources to fight organized crime.
Police Investigations and Intelligence chief Yohanan Danino said on Monday that it would be possible to assess the new center's achievements only in about two years, after the material gathered leads to investigations and indictments.
The center's foundation and annual operating cost, some NIS 70 million,is financed entirely with funds confiscated from crime organizations.
Rather than focus on criminal activity, the police will use the intelligence to strike at the crime organizations' economic assets and try to dry them up. The center will also act against Internet gambling.
The center was set up following a January 2006 cabinet decision to create a clearinghouse for intelligence. The justice and public security ministers, attorney general, police commissioner, state prosecutor, Tax Authority director and other senior officials attended the center's inauguration.
In the wake of the cabinet decision, a steering committee was set up to create policy to fight organized crime, consisting of the attorney general, police commissioner and Tax Authority chief.
A standing committee, headed by Commander Danino, was also established to determine the team's goals and priorities. The standing committee is in charge of five special task forces, each consisting of investigators from the three bodies. Each task force will focus on a specific crime organization.
Computer terminals holding encoded information of the tax and anti-money laundering authorities have been installed in the center.
Four police officers, three Tax Authority officials (customs, VAT and income tax) and two Money Laundering Prohibition Authority officials will work in the center on a permanent basis.