'HA'ARETZ' STAFFERS REMANDED FOR INTERNET DRUG SALES

TEL AVIV (June 2) - Two Ha'aretz staffers were remanded for five days
by Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court yesterday on suspicion they have been
dealing drugs on IOL, a Web site owned by Ha'aretz.

The two, Rehavia Berman, 30, and David Hanoch, 29, both of Tel Aviv,
used an IOL chat room about science fiction to make arrangements to
supply marijuana to buyers, according to police.

Police declined to specify the quantity of drugs involved, saying only
that it was "a large amount." They allegedly both bought and grew
marijuana to sell. It is unclear how many people were involved in the
operation.

Detectives from the youth squad uncovered the alleged operation while
searching for dealers on the Internet. Berman's and Hanoch's reputed
customers were not minors and so the case was passed on to another
department to investigate.

Berman was arrested and released to house arrest for several days on
related charges two weeks ago.

Since then, both he and Hanoch have taken steps to interfere with the
investigation, police said, and asked that the two be remanded for
eight days.

Their lawyers, Benny Katz and Keren Levy, asked that they be released
to house arrest. They denied the two had tried to interfere with the
investigation, saying Berman, a freelance sports reporter, had been in
contact with Hanoch, who is a sub-editor on the sports desk, for work
reasons.

They also emphasized that their clients live respectable lives and do
not have criminal records.

Judge Hayuta Kochan rejected this argument, saying, "It is a shame
that someone who has a job, and an interesting one at that, and
doesn't lack the funds to support himself, would resort to dealing
drugs ... The suspects' attorneys praised their clean past, but I can
do nothing but marvel and express regret that two respectable people
who lacked nothing found their way to the world of crime."

She remanded the two until Tuesday, saying "police have gathered a
large amount of information connecting the two to drug dealing and to
supplying drugs to various people at many opportunities. A large
amount of drugs passed through the suspects' hands, as each of them
had people with whom he carried out drug-related transactions."