27.1 C
Accra
Thursday, February 13, 2025
WorldChildren removed from Jewish sect's jungle compound in Mexico

Date:

Children removed from Jewish sect’s jungle compound in Mexico

Children and older teenagers have been removed from the jungle compound of a Jewish sect in Mexico following a raid by police, the BBC has learned.

It took place against the Lev Tahor group, which was investigated on suspicion of trafficking minors.

The children and teenagers are being flown to Israel where they have extended families.

Lev Tahor (Hebrew for Pure Heart) is known for extremist practices and imposing a strict regime on members.

It advocates child marriage, inflicts harsh punishments for even minor transgressions and requires women and girls as young as three years old to completely cover up with robes. The stricture has earned the group the nickname the Jewish Taliban because of seeming similarities with the dress code enforced by the Sunni Muslim extremist group which controls Afghanistan.

On Friday morning, police made their way into the compound 11 miles (17.5km) north of Tapachula in Chiapas state.

A source connected to the operation said the boys and girls were quickly separated from the rest of the group due to fears their lives could be at risk from members trying to prevent them from being removed.

A Jewish child protesting against their detention by Mexican authorities puts their arm underneath the wall of a National Institute of Migration (INM) facility in Huixtla, Chiapas state, Mexico (25 September 2022)
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, A number of children from the sect were photographed protesting inside a migration facility in Chiapas on Sunday

The Mexican police worked alongside a four-man volunteer team from Israel, including former Mossad agents, in planning and carrying out the operation. It was set in motion about two years ago when a relative in Israel of some of those in the group asked one of the former agents for help.

The team travelled between Israel and Guatemala, where the branch had lived since 2014, carrying out surveillance operations and working with local authorities, law enforcement and a Guatemalan private investigator. In January about 40-50 members illegally crossed into Mexico, where they continued to be tracked, settling in the jungle north of Tapachula.

The leadership in Guatemala has been at the centre of a kidnapping case since 2018, when two children who had been taken to New York by their mother who had fled the community were snatched back. They were recovered three weeks later in Mexico.

Nine of the sect’s members were charged in connection with the case. Four – including the founder’s son and current leader Nachman Helbrans – have been jailed, while one was convicted but freed due to time already served and another is due to be sentenced in November. Two are awaiting trial and one is in custody in Guatemala.

Lev Tahor was formed in Israel in 1988 by Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans, who later moved to the US. He served two years in prison after being convicted of kidnapping in 1994 and drowned in Mexico in 2017.

Numbering up to about 350 members, Lev Tahor has been forced to move from country to country in recent years after coming under scrutiny from local authorities. It is currently spread between Israel, the US, Macedonia, Morocco, Mexico and Guatemala. Between 70-80 members are still in Guatemala.

While the group is often described as ultra-Orthodox, it follows its own sets of rules and has been declared a “dangerous cult” by an Israeli court.

Its leaders have denied breaking local laws and say the group is being targeted because of its beliefs.

Source: BBC

[forminator_poll id="710479"]

Latest stories

I believe Ato Forson was a victim of a political witch-hunt – AG

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine,...

Health Minister arrives in Wa to provide support in fight against meningitis

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and the...

Ofori-Atta hasn’t bolted – Stephen Amoah

Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso and former Deputy Finance...

Claims that Ofori-Atta is fleeing are completely false – Richard Ahiagbah

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Communications Director, Richard Ahiagbah,...

Jubilee House to host 6th March celebration to cut down govt expenditure

President John Dramani Mahama’s government has opted to scale...

4-year-old boy drowns in uncovered water pit at Berekum

The tragic passing of a four-year-old boy has plunged...

Finance Ministry proposes March 10 for 2025 budget presentation

The Ministry of Finance has proposed March 10, 2025,...

Related stories

“I still consider it my biggest failure” – Bill Gates on life after divorce

Bill Gates is speaking candidly about his divorce from Melinda French...

Kanye West reclaims title as wealthiest rapper, surpassing JAY-Z

Kanye West has reportedly reclaimed the title of the...

Meta offers TikTokers $5,000 to join Facebook, Instagram

Social media giant Meta has offered to pay up...

About 1,600 Capitol riot defendants pardoned by Trump

President Donald Trump has issued pardons or commuted sentences...

LIVESTREAMING: Swearing-in ceremony for Donald Trump

Today marks the beginning of Donald Trump's second term...

Inauguration Day schedule for Trump’s swearing-in ceremony today

Donald Trump will take the oath of office today...

WhatsApp to stop working on these devices in 2025

WhatsApp will soon cease supporting 18 Android models and...