Alleged crime boss convicted for arms dealing

The Jerusalem District Court yesterday convicted alleged organized crime boss Asi Abutbul of being an accessory to a weapons deal.

The court also convicted Eli Naim, also known as "The Magician" and a reputed leader of the Jerusalem underworld, of conspiring to commit a crime, and of illegally purchasing weapons.

Sentencing will be given at a later date.

Eight other people were also convicted on arms-dealing charges, all of them members of Abutbul and Naim's organizations.

Driving with an Uzi

The affair began at the beginning of 2006, when Jerusalem police stopped a car driven by two of Naim's men at the entrance to the city. A search of the vehicle uncovered an Uzi sub-machine gun, magazines and silencers.

One of the passengers was later enlisted as a state's witness in the case.

After investigators collected sufficient evidence, police decided to arrest the 10 main suspects in the affair: Abutbul and three of his men, Naim and five of his. The police suspected that Abutbul and Naim were collaborating in order to settle scores with rival gangs in the capital.

During the arrest operation, police discovered a hidden weapons cache in an apartment belonging to one of Abutbul's suspected foot soldiers that included some three kilograms of RDX explosive material.

The case will be remembered for an incident between Abutbul and Judge Hana Ben-Ami. The alleged crime boss was ejected from the courtroom after he shouted at the judge.

He later told reporters "she will pay the price."