Pubdate: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 Source: Jerusalem Post (Israel) Copyright: 2000,sThe Jerusalem Post Contact: PO Box 81, Jerusalem, 91000 - Israel Fax: + 972-2-5389527 Feedback: http://www.jpost.co.il/com/Letters/input.html Website: http://www.jpost.co.il/ Author: Heidi J. Gleit LOD DRUG-RING LEADERS REMANDED The Tel Aviv District Court yesterday charged Zayid Aljarushi and Rami Wahidi with running one of the major drug dealing stations in Lod. The court remanded the two for two weeks until the next hearing. Aljarushi is considered one of the major dealers in the area who police had been trying to build a case against for a long time, according to police sources. According to the charge sheet, Aljarushi supplied drugs to Hamad Alhadi and Suleiman S'naa, the men who operated the so-called "kaspomat" (automatic teller machine) where customers could buy drugs through a window just like bank customers could get cash from an ATM. Aljarushi also paid the salaries of the lookouts and salesmen who worked there. He and Wahidi would occasionally go to the station to pick up money and drop off drugs and check up on the operation there, according to the charge sheet. The station sold 300-700 portions of heroin and cocaine a day, raking in between NIS 30,000 and NIS 70,000. Alhadi, S'naa and seven of their colleagues were charged in Tel Aviv District Court several weeks ago. They all were arrested as part of a special police operation, called "Orech Neshima" ("Endurance") and headed by Dep.-Cmdr. Yossi Boker, to eradicate the drug trade in Lod and Ramle. The operation, which began in mid-November and involves over 200 policemen, has resulted in hundreds of arrests and the closure of many of the major stations where drugs were bought and sold. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea