JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Dozens of police officers from Israel’s Northern District and the Border Police raided several locations in Yavniel on Wednesday morning as part of an undercover investigation conducted over recent months into suspected underage marriages allegedly taking place illegally within a Breslov community.

According to police, the investigation uncovered a method in which most of the weddings were held in the morning and attended by only a small number of people.

The locations of the ceremonies were reportedly kept secret until the last moment, mobile phones were prohibited, and photography or recording was prevented in order to avoid documentation of the events and reduce the risk of exposure.

Police further claim that after the ceremony, a second event was sometimes held for the wider community and presented as an “engagement party,” to which family members and acquaintances were invited.

As part of the investigation, detectives from the Northern District raided a ceremony at a home in the community in February after receiving real-time information that it was taking place.

During that operation, officers said they identified a couple dressed as a bride and groom. A search of the premises allegedly uncovered a ketubah (Jewish marriage contract), wedding rings, and a ceremonial glass wrapped in aluminum foil that had been hidden inside a water-system cabinet.

Police also stated that, through court-issued warrants, information was collected from hospitals in northern Israel. According to the investigation’s findings, more than 20 cases were identified over the past three years in which girls from the community gave birth while still officially registered as single in the Population Registry.

The police emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and forms part of a broader effort to combat underage marriage.

In a statement, police said: “The Israel Police will continue to act decisively against any offense that harms minors and vulnerable individuals, with the goal of uncovering the truth, bringing those involved to justice, and preventing the continuation of this phenomenon.”