Israel Police Arrest Bikers Filmed at 299 km/h

Israel Police have arrested five motorcyclists suspected of filming themselves committing life-threatening traffic offenses, including riding at speeds as high as 299 kilometers per hour (about 186 mph), and posting the videos on social media. The arrests followed a wide-scale operation by the central unit of the police Traffic Division.

According to the Israel Police spokesperson's unit, the investigation ran over recent weeks and targeted riders who had been documented committing serious offenses on the road. Investigators found that several motorcyclists had put all road users at risk with excessive speeding, dangerous overtaking, swerving between lanes and riding wheelies.

Footage, including the moment the suspects were arrested (Photo: Israel Police Spokesperson's Unit)

The investigation was carried out together with the police intelligence division. After gathering evidence and building a case, detectives from the Traffic Division's central unit and Border Police officers carried out arrests at several locations across the country, from northern to southern Israel.

The first suspect is a 27-year-old resident of Kafr Qara. He is suspected of riding at 299 km/h. The second is a 24-year-old from Majd al-Krum suspected of riding at 265 km/h (about 165 mph). A third suspect, aged 23, from Kafr Misr, is suspected of dangerous overtaking across a solid dividing line and of riding off the road while traveling at 221 km/h (about 137 mph).

The two remaining suspects, a 24-year-old from Beersheba and a 24-year-old from Kafr Qara, were questioned on suspicion of serious traffic offenses. These include reckless driving, dangerous lane departures, and riding a motorcycle with no license plate or with the plate concealed.

During searches, officers seized five motorcycles along with clothing and vehicle accessories allegedly used in the offenses. All five suspects were questioned by investigators from the Traffic Division's central unit.

The police traffic prosecution unit filed an indictment against one of the suspects. The court suspended his driver's license until the end of the legal proceedings against him and placed him under full house arrest until further notice. The other four suspects were released by court order on bail under restrictive conditions, and their driver's licenses were suspended.

The operation is part of "Committed to Life," a combined national program to combat deadly road crashes now being run by the Traffic Division and Israel's National Road Safety Authority.

Police have recently handled similar cases of extreme speeding. In one, a motorcyclist caught riding at 285 km/h (about 177 mph) was sentenced to nine months in prison. In another, a scooter rider was filmed on Route 4 with his feet up on the handlebars and his hands free. When he noticed he was being filmed, he waved and gave a thumbs-up instead of stopping. He was indicted and his scooter was confiscated.