Masked Man Throws Cannabis at Pub Patrons in Be’er Sheva
On July 22, an unknown masked man threw cannabis at patrons inside Bar Ilan pub in the Israeli city of Be’er Sheva. Police have not yet apprehended the suspect or his accomplices.
Cannabis Dealer Advertises Services
The pub owner, Ilan Zagdon, reported that late at night, a car stopped outside the pub. A masked man got out, carrying a white bag. He ran into the bar, pulled out several small packets from his bag, and threw them at the customers. After causing the commotion, he shouted, “I’ll be back,” got into the car’s passenger seat, and drove away.
Staff at the pub opened some of the packets and found cannabis inside, along with business cards listing contact information for Telegram and WhatsApp. Zagdon believes that one of the drug dealer’s associates threw the cannabis as part of an unusual promotional campaign. According to him, police have been cracking down on cannabis sales via Telegram, forcing dealers to advertise their services offline. The criminals chose the pub as a place to promote themselves because many of its customers are students.
Patrons Shocked by Incident
Zagdon said that the people in the pub were far from amused: “When I told the police about the incident, they didn’t believe me. The situation was too surreal, but I think this story needs to be told. We live in Be’er Sheva, so we were sure we were under terrorist attack and were very scared.”
Be’er Sheva is located near the Gaza Strip, and the city regularly experiences terrorist attacks. For example, in March 2022, a resident of the Bedouin city of Hura, Mohammed Abu al-Qiyan, attacked people with a knife near a shopping center, killing four and injuring two others.
Authorities Crack Down on Cannabis Smuggling
Israeli law enforcement is not only fighting online cannabis sales but also combating illegal cannabis imports. At the end of June, border guards confiscated a shipment of cannabis weighing 80 kilograms, valued at 3 million shekels (about 51 million rubles).
Officers also arrested several people attempting to throw bags of cannabis over the fence along the border between Egypt and Israel. According to police, smugglers import cannabis and hashish grown in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula into Israel. Israeli border guards do not hesitate to use firearms during confrontations with criminals. Last year, within just two weeks, two Egyptians were shot and killed while trying to break through the border in vehicles. In both cases, officers aimed at the tires, but stray bullets hit the individuals.