Current and Former Tax Authority Employees Arrested in Bribery Probe

Israel Police arrested current and former Israel Tax Authority employees and detained additional suspects Monday morning after an undercover investigation by Lahav 433's National Fraud Investigations Unit and the Tax Authority. Police suspect the employees accepted bribes and, in return, worked for years to enable fraudulent tax-refund claims totaling about NIS 80 million. Investigators raided the suspects' homes and offices as the inquiry became public. Police said they would ask the Ramla Magistrate's Court to extend the detainees' remand; the initial reports did not name the suspects or state how many were arrested.