Gunman Kills Crime Boss Yanis Yushvaev at Gas Station as Police Hunt Suspects

3 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · Aug 23

Point-blank gunfire killed Yanis Yushvaev, a reputed northern Israel crime boss in his 40s, at a gas station near Caesarea on Sunday; medics pronounced him dead after CPR.
Police called the shooting criminally motivated, assigned the case to the Coastal District and launched a large manhunt with roadblocks, extensive searches and helicopter support for suspects who fled by vehicle.
Yushvaev had long been a major police intelligence target tied to shootings, arson, threats and underworld feuds, but most cases against him ended without significant indictments because of insufficient evidence.
One notable case did reach court in 2021, when prosecutors accused him of threatening a Be'er Sheva businessman over a $1.1 million debt and warning, "we'll eliminate you."
His killing closes a years-long arc in which he survived an earlier shooting about a decade ago, then rose to influence in the Sharon region despite repeated arrests.