The Israeli crime boss was shot dead at point-blank range. Photo / Screengrab, X
An Israeli mafia boss has been shot dead in public at point-blank range.
Yanis Yushvaev, 40, was killed as he left a petrol station near Caesarea.
The married father of three was considered one of Israel’s most dangerous criminals, with his death coming as the country grapples with a growing
organised crime crisis.
CCTV footage showed the gunman walking up a small flight of steps to a door, as two men came out of it and walked past him. Yushvaev was then seen coming out of the door and walking down the stairs.
After the men had walked past the gunman and were facing the other way, he turned and shot Yushvaev in the back of the head. The mafia boss then tumbled down the stairs as the gunman fled on foot.
Police described Yushvaev as the head of a crime group associated with Israel’s Jewish Caucasus community.
He had evaded conviction for years as police repeatedly failed to gather sufficient evidence despite his own alleged involvement in shootings, grenade attacks and vehicle arson.
There is growing concern that Israel’s underworld wars are spilling into everyday public spaces.
In recent weeks, branches of Japanika, a popular sushi restaurant chain, have been targeted with grenades, gunfire and attempted arson in attacks police have linked to an escalating feud between the Mosli (Jewish) and Jarushi (Arab) crime families.
Thirteen attacks were reported in the space of several days, including gunfire at a restaurant in Herzliya and a suspected grenade attack that caused a fire at a branch in Netanya.
The attacks prompted the US embassy in Jerusalem to issue a security warning to Americans in Israel about the threat from organised crime in Tel Aviv, Jaffa and Herzliya.
Murders are also on the rise. There were 309 murders recorded in Israel in 2025, up from 148 in 2022, an increase of 109%.
Of those killed in 2025, 241 were Arab-Israelis, and 47 were Jewish, according to police figures.
But Yushvaev’s killing stands as a reminder that Israel’s organised crime problem is not confined to its Arab minority.
