Morocco Arrests Israeli Fraud Suspect Wanted by Interpol

Moroccan security forces have arrested Israeli national Avi Golan, a 70-year-old Interpol-wanted suspect accused of large-scale international fraud. He was reportedly detained in a nighttime raid at a luxury villa in Marrakesh where he had been living under a false identity. Authorities say he had moved across several countries while using fake identities to defraud victims worldwide. He has since been transferred to a prison in Rabat pending extradition procedures.

Moroccan security forces have arrested Israeli national Avi Golan, a 70-year-old man described in Israeli media as a major cross-border fraud suspect wanted by Interpol, following a reported coordinated international operation that ended years of alleged evasion across multiple countries.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, the arrest took place after an elite Moroccan police unit carried out a nighttime raid at a luxury villa in Marrakesh, where Golan was reportedly living under a false identity using the name “Yair Bibert.” The report stated that the operation was based on security coordination between multiple international agencies, aimed at locating and apprehending him after years in which he allegedly moved between different countries to avoid arrest.
Media accounts suggest that Golan had been travelling and residing in various locations over time, including Japan, Mexico, and Germany, allegedly using forged documents and multiple identities to conceal his movements. His arrest in Morocco is being described as the result of sustained international tracking efforts linked to fraud investigations spanning several jurisdictions.
Channel 12 reported that Golan has a long criminal history in Israel, including serving approximately 35 years in prison in connection with around 100 criminal cases. Despite this record, he is still accused of continuing fraudulent activities after his release, allegedly targeting individuals in different countries through elaborate deception schemes.
He is accused of defrauding hundreds of victims internationally by impersonating wealthy businessmen and high-profile investors. According to the report, his methods often involved presenting himself as a billionaire or internationally connected entrepreneur in order to gain trust and convince victims to transfer money or invest in fake opportunities. These schemes allegedly extended across multiple countries in Latin America, including Brazil, Ecuador, and Argentina.
Investigators also allege that Golan frequently used fabricated identities and counterfeit financial documents to support his claims of wealth and legitimacy. In some instances, he reportedly posed as an Australian millionaire involved in tracing descendants of Spanish settlers, using this narrative to further build credibility and attract victims. These elaborate stories were allegedly part of a broader pattern of manipulation designed to sustain a lavish lifestyle while avoiding detection.
Reports from sources linked to the Jewish community in Morocco claimed that Golan had been living in Marrakesh for some time under his assumed identity, continuing similar patterns of deception while residing in a luxury property. His presence in Morocco reportedly came to the attention of authorities after intelligence sharing and surveillance operations linked his activities to outstanding international fraud warrants.
Following his arrest, Golan was transferred from Marrakesh to a central prison in Rabat, where he is being held pending extradition procedures. The transfer is said to be part of ongoing legal steps to determine his next destination for prosecution, depending on international agreements and outstanding warrants.
Although Moroccan authorities have not issued an official public statement confirming the details of the operation, Israeli media reports indicate that Rabat is currently in communication with authorities in Israel and Germany to coordinate legal processes and determine extradition arrangements. The case is being closely followed due to its international scope, the scale of the alleged fraud, and the long history of evasion attributed to the suspect.