A 61-year-old Israeli national known by the nickname "El Banquero" (The Banker) was arrested at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, in a joint operation by Colombian police and Interpol, authorities said. The suspect, identified as Mikhael Mezrahi, was detained following an Interpol Red Notice issued against him.
According to Colombian police, Mezrahi is wanted by authorities in the United Arab Emirates to serve a prison sentence for fraud, money laundering, forgery, and the use of falsified private documents.
Investigators allege that Mezrahi was connected to an international network responsible for defrauding a bank identified as Khartoum in Dubai of approximately $16.7 million using fraudulent financial documents. Following his arrest, he was transferred to Colombia's Attorney General's Office as extradition proceedings advanced.
Israeli suspect reportedly carried four passports while traveling to Venezuela
Colombian media reported that the suspect, identified in some reports by his full name, Mikhael Jaime Shamis Mezrahi, arrived in Bogotá on a flight from Madrid and was preparing to board a connecting flight to Venezuela.
According to the reports, he was carrying four passports issued by different countries. In addition to Israeli and Mexican citizenship, he reportedly also holds Canadian and Lebanese citizenship.
The Colombian newspapers El Tiempo and Extra reported that Mezrahi was sentenced to five years in prison in the UAE in November 2022 before fleeing to Spain, where the country's National Court rejected an extradition request against him on various grounds.
Alleged fraud network linked to international businesses and money transfers
According to the reports, Mezrahi's extensive business activities include securities companies in the United Kingdom and real estate and tourism projects in Canada and Mexico.
He was also reportedly the subject of previous investigations in Canada related to drug trafficking. Investigators allege that proceeds from the fraud were transferred, in part, to a company he owned called WYB AG General Trading.
Colombian police hail arrest as international law enforcement success
Col. Alver Vicente Alfonso Sanabria, director of the Interpol investigation unit within Colombia's National Police, described the arrest as a significant achievement in international law enforcement cooperation.
"Mezrahi's arrest is a significant result of the international police cooperation mechanisms led by Interpol's National Central Bureau in Colombia," Sanabria said.
"It demonstrates the country's commitment to combating transnational organized crime," he added.