Namibia arrests Iranian women claiming to be Israeli, mistaken for Yahalomis

The mother and daughter's reported arrest in Namibia follows their disappearance in Europe and subsequent discovery in Argentina in August.

Mali and Liel Yahalomi were arrested in Namibia after allegedly using forged passports, nearly two months after they were found in Argentina following an international search that began in Europe.

Israel Police are aware of reports of the two women’s arrest in Namibia, but said that because the alleged offense took place there, the case is being handled by local authorities.

"We have representatives deployed all over the world; we are aware of the incident, but it is not under our responsibility or handling," an Israel Police source told Maariv.

This event is the latest development in a case that began in August, when Mali Yahalomi, 50, and her 23-year-old daughter, Liel, both residents of Modi'in, left Israel on August 4, 2026, for a trip to Europe.

The two later traveled to Vienna, where contact with them was lost. When they failed to return to Israel on their scheduled flight, their family reported them missing, prompting an international search.

The investigation was later transferred to Lahav 433, with authorities examining several scenarios, including kidnapping or a security-related incident. Investigators subsequently gathered indications suggesting that the women had left of their own free will and had taken steps in advance to make themselves difficult to locate. Reports said they had purchased replacement phones, turned off or disrupted location services, and deleted applications.

According to published findings from the investigation, the women traveled through the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany before continuing to South America.

Mother and daughter found on a bus in Argentina ten days after last contact 

On August 14, they were located on a bus in Argentina after nearly a week of searches spanning several continents. Supt. Walter Kogan, the Israel Police representative in Latin America, boarded the bus, identified himself to the women, and confirmed that they were in good health and not in danger.

Following brief questioning in Argentina, authorities found no indication at the time of a criminal offense or that the two were being held against their will. They were released and allowed to continue their journey after police determined that they were two adult women who had left voluntarily.

Their reported arrest in Namibia is therefore a separate, later development, following their disappearance in Europe and subsequent discovery in Argentina in August.