2 of the 3 students that are being held in Japan
Malachi himself is said to be a leading foot soldier of the Abergil clan, an Israeli international crime family involved in international drug-running operations of Ecstasy and other illicit drugs. Their operations penetrated the yeshivah world, using unwitting and innocent yeshivah students as couriers—such as the three who were caught at a Japanese airport with 90,000 Ecstasy pills concealed in their suitcases without their knowledge.
"They were understandably confused, they were in shock," said noted Israeli attorney Mordechai Tzivin, who traveled to Japan to meet with them in their cells. "Here they came from a very structured life, and they were deceived by a frum person whose entire goal was to trick them."
According to the report, the threesome was told they were smuggling antiques so as to avoid paying taxes.
Tzivin says that the entire international Satmar community has mobilized to free the three students. "Whether Antwerp, London, S. Paolo, New York, or Israel, there is an unprecedented draft to help these innocent lads," he told Channel 10 in an interview.
Meanwhile, the youngest of the three is about to go to trial, with the two older students' trial scheduled for next month. Israel's religious community is doing everything it can to save them.
In Israel, Bentzy Miller's trial is soon to begin.
