Armed robberies targeting miners in Potosí and Llallagua: theft exceeds Bs 3.5 million
Masked armed men attacked two homes of mining workers in less than 24 hours. The total haul exceeds Bs 3.5 million and one property owner was injured in the head.
Two violent robberies in Potosí mining zones in less than one day
Two armed robberies committed within an interval of less than 24 hours in the municipalities of Potosí and Llallagua netted a haul exceeding Bs 3.5 million, according to El Deber based on preliminary reports. The offenders, with covered faces, forcibly entered homes of mining sector workers and overpowered occupants to steal substantial sums of cash.
The most violent incident was recorded in the early morning of Wednesday, 7 October in the Alto Potosí zone. At least three masked men forcibly entered a miner's residence and seized approximately Bs 3 million.
According to witness accounts and initial police reports, the robbers fired at least two shots and subdued all family members, including a woman and minors. The victims were bound while the offenders searched different parts of the property in search of money.
The property owner attempted to resist the robbery, but one of the robbers struck him in the head with an object similar to a crowbar, causing an injury with perforation, according to preliminary investigations.
After seizing the cash, the masked men fled in a white vehicle. Other valuable items found on a motorcycle inside the property were apparently not taken, according to available information about the case.
The second robbery was reported in the Potosí municipality of Llallagua and also targeted a residence linked to the mining sector. Individual details of this second robbery were not specified in available reports, although the total amount stolen in both incidents would exceed Bs 3.5 million.
The Special Force Against Crime (Felcc) is conducting proceedings to identify those responsible and establish how the robberies were executed. In the Alto Potosí case, investigators gathered video surveillance material that could contribute to reconstructing the robbers' movements.
For now, investigations remain under reserve. No arrests have been reported nor any recovery of the stolen money.
Authorities will have to determine whether both robberies were carried out by different groups or whether there is any connection between the two incidents, which occurred within a span of less than 24 hours.
Source: El Deber