State prosecutors on Monday filed an indictment against a Rishon Lezion resident accused of carrying out surveillance missions on behalf of a foreign agent, including filming the street outside the home of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, in what authorities described as another attempt by Iranian intelligence to collect information on senior Israeli figures.
The indictment, filed with the Central District Court in Lod, charges Lekachao Demsash, 31, with contact with a foreign agent, an offense that carries a potential prison sentence. Prosecutors have also requested that he be held in custody until the conclusion of legal proceedings, citing the gravity of the allegations and the security risks involved.
According to the indictment, Demsash maintained contact from late October 2025 until his arrest with an individual identified as a foreign operative who investigators believe was linked to foreign intelligence interests.
During that period, he allegedly carried out a series of tasks at the operative’s direction in exchange for payment, receiving thousands of dollars via digital wallets on the Binance cryptocurrency platform.
Prosecutors allege that Demsash was instructed to install a dashboard camera in his vehicle equipped with a SIM card, allowing the operator to access the camera remotely and view live footage in real time.
On December 3, 2025, acting under those instructions, Demsash drove in the early morning hours to a street near Bennett’s residence, parked his car with the camera running and under the operator’s control, and transmitted footage from the location.
Shortly after he parked, security guards approached the vehicle, causing Demsash to flee the scene. He was arrested approximately one week later.
The indictment describes a series of additional surveillance missions, including prolonged filming of streets in Herzliya, Yavne, and Petah Tikva, as well as travel documentation and video recordings sent from shopping centers in Rishon Lezion and Ashdod.
In some instances, prosecutors say, Demsash was instructed to leave his vehicle parked for hours while the camera continued filming, before returning to disable the device.
Demsash continued work despite suspecting foreign intelligence
According to the prosecution, Demsash continued to carry out the assignments even after suspecting that he was operating on behalf of a foreign intelligence actor.
In its detention request, the prosecution argued that the transfer of detailed visual information from the vicinity of a former prime minister’s home demonstrates a high level of danger, particularly during wartime, and that no alternative to continued detention could adequately mitigate the risk.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Israel Police.
Police said the case forms part of a broader pattern of Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis for intelligence-gathering missions, often beginning with seemingly innocuous tasks in exchange for payment. Investigators assess that the surveillance near Bennett’s residence was intended to support potential future harm.
This marks at least the third publicly reported instance in which individuals allegedly operating under Iranian direction were identified while conducting surveillance near Bennett’s home. Vadim Kupriyanov, 40-years-old and also from Rishon Lezion, was arrested just a week-and-a-half ago (December 25) for similar surveillance of Bennett’s home.
Back in May, 18-year-old Moshe Atias from Ashdod was arrested after attempting to surveil Bennett while he was hospitalized at the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba.
The indictment comes amid heightened concern within Israel’s security establishment over Iranian espionage activity during the Israel-Hamas war.
Since October 7, authorities say Iran has intensified efforts to gather intelligence inside Israel, including through the recruitment of civilians to photograph sensitive sites, track public figures, and relay logistical information. Dozens such cases have been uncovered, some involving payments via cryptocurrency and communication through encrypted messaging platforms.
Security officials have repeatedly warned that any contact with unidentified foreign actors may conceal intelligence activity and expose participants to severe criminal liability.