In December 2003, a bomb ripped through the heart of Tel Aviv as part of a brazen attempt to assassinate Israel's notorious crime boss Zeev Rosenstein.

Rosenstein survived what would be the seventh attempt on his life, but three bystanders were killed.

The attack, which occurred during the height of the Second Intifada and exposed the growing power of the criminal underworld, triggered widespread anger across Israel.

Responding to the outrage, the government - led by Ariel Sharon - launched a series of measures that would fundamentally reshape Israel's approach to organised crime.

Organised crime would now be treated as more than a law-and-order problem. It was defined as a strategic threat to Israel's social and economic resilience.