Northern resident suspected of distributing and offsetting fictitious invoices in the amount of hundreds of millions of NIS

The Tax Authority, through customs and VAT investigations in Haifa and the North, arrested another suspect as part of a large investigation that has been ongoing in recent months, surrounding suspicions of a complex and extensive criminal organization aimed at defrauding the state treasury by using shell companies to issue and offset fictitious tax invoices in the fuel industry while committing money laundering offenses.

The suspect, Sowitat Rafat, is a resident of Asafia and the owner of a company called “Tik Tok Transportation Ltd.” According to suspicion, he is closely linked to a network of companies managed by CPA Nabil Wakim and the owner of “M. A. HaAlufim Ltd.” – Muhammad Amon. Amon and Wakim were arrested last January and released under restrictive conditions.

According to the suspicion, Raft was a central factor in feeding the company “M. A. Alofim” and other companies in the network with fictitious tax invoices amounting to hundreds of millions of NIS in the years 2023-2024, with suspicion of laundering money totaling tens of millions of NIS through financial service providers (currency exchange).

The suspect was questioned twice in the past as part of the affair, and a search was also conducted at his home, during which cellular devices were seized. Following the analysis of the findings from the cellular phones of all the suspects, findings emerged that linked him to the suspicions. In addition, the suspect did not appear for the investigations to which he was summoned and was even suspected of carrying out actions to obstruct an investigation.

The day before yesterday, Tax Authority investigators arrived at his home, accompanied by police officers from the Nesher police station. When he was not at home, contact was made with him and it was agreed with him that he would appear the next day for a hearing at the Haifa Magistrate’s Court. Yesterday, the suspect appeared before the Haifa Magistrate’s Court, was questioned and released under restrictive conditions.