Sisters faked disappearance over £50,000 debt, sparking international manhunt

Police investigation into the disappearance of sisters Mali and Liel Yehalom concluded this week with a revelation that has left Israeli authorities red-faced. The pair, who vanished in circumstances that triggered an Interpol alert, had in fact staged their own disappearance to escape margin call debts, according to findings revealed by investigative journalist Alon Hakmon. While police handled the initial response professionally, activating international protocols, the public is left with a bitter taste as the case unravels. The sisters manufactured a missing persons case valued at approximately 200,000 shekels (roughly £50,000) in debts, exploiting resources meant for genuine emergencies. The disappearance had sparked widespread concern and a significant law enforcement response, with authorities treating the case with the seriousness it would normally warrant. However, the truth emerging from the investigation reveals a calculated deception rather than a criminal abduction or tragedy. The case highlights how legitimate-seeming emergency calls can strain police resources and public attention, whilst other genuine missing persons cases continue to languish without resolution or progress, some having remained unsolved for years with minimal leads or answers for families desperately seeking closure and answers.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.