Rabat – Moroccan security services ended a manhunt for an alleged Israeli scammer, who was arrested in a luxury villa in Marrakech.
Israeli media Mako said dozens of Moroccan officers surrounded a lavish villa, where a man under a fake name, Yair Bibert, was arrested for scamming Jews and Israelis.
The arrest of Avi Golan followed months-long investigations, triggering complaints against the suspect both in Morocco and Israel.
“When police stormed the property, it marked the end of one of the most complex manhunts for a man considered a highly sophisticated international fraudster,” the news outlet said.
The man, 70, is an Israeli citizen who is wanted in many countries under an Interpol arrest warrant.
He is suspected of scamming hundreds or possibly thousands of people for large amounts of money.
Mako quoted a source in the Jewish community in Morocco, stating that the alleged suspect takes on a different identity.
“Sometimes a Jewish billionaire from Brazil, other times an American businessman,” the source said.
“He stole money from innocent Jews and Israelis to fund a luxurious lifestyle, causing serious damage to the community’s image,” Mako reported.
The scammer is allegedly a serial offender, the report quoted a Moroccan law enforcement source as noting.
“He possessed numerous fake passports that allowed him to move between countries,” the source added.
The suspect allegedly scammed citizens in Brazil, Ecuador, and Argentina, posing as an Australian millionaire searching for descendants of Spanish Jews.
“Each time he impersonates a different businessman, using fake banking documents to show he has large sums of money,” another source familiar with the case told Mako.
