Ha´aretz English Edition
Sunday, August 11, 2002
Leading Israeli crime figure gunned down in Prague
By Ha'aretz Service
A leading Israeli crime figure, Felix Abutbul, was gunned down
Saturday in front of a casino he owned in Prague.
Police are investigating the possibility that the hit is linked to a
dispute Abutbul might have had with Israeli criminals, among them the
Alperon family, a well-known underworld clan.
Abutbul's assailants fled the scene of the attack.
Abutbul, 51, cemented his reputation in the crime world when it
emerged he was involved in the attempt to kidnap an exiled Nigerian
minister - in a suitcase - in London 15 years ago. Some have said
that Abutbul, who served six years in a British jail for the crime,
was working for the Mossad.
Abutbul who owned gambling joints in Israel, earned the nickname
"Netanya's Gambling King." He was considered a prime intelligence
target by the Israeli police. He was released from a prison in Israel
several months ago after serving a term for assault.
Abutbul, who was known to keep those around him in the dark, steered
clear of the media and tried to project the image of a legitimate
businessman.
Abutbul's son, Francoise Avital, was charged in March earlier this
year with a series of felonies including extortion and assault. The
indictment was based on information provided by an undercover agent
who posed as his bodyguard.
Another of Abutbul's sons, Assi, was arrested in 2000 on suspicion of
involvement in a multi-million shekel fraud involving vacation units
in Israel and abroad.
