Bolivia expels "John Pulpo", wanted by Interpol and sentenced to life in Peru
Bolivia's police detained and announced the expulsion of Jhonsson Smit Cruz Torres, alias "John Pulpo", captured in La Paz after months of international surveillance.
Bolivia expels alias "John Pulpo" following operation in La Paz
The Police of the Plurinational State of Bolivia detained Jhonsson Smit Cruz Torres, alias "John Pulpo", in an apartment building in La Paz, and announced his forthcoming expulsion from the country, according to prensaregional.pe. The operation was the result of several months of surveillance by specialised units that began in January of this year.
The general commander of the institution, Adrián Javier Álvarez Arismendi, explained that the operation involved coordination between the authorities of Bolivia, Peru and Chile, given the dangerousness attributed to the detainee and the expansion of his criminal organisation towards other countries in the region.
Cruz Torres will be expelled from Bolivian territory by order of the Ministry of Government and through a resolution by the General Directorate of Migration. Peruvian authorities had been seeking him with a red Interpol notice, and he is already serving a life sentence in Peru for various offences.
Attempted to escape and carried cash
According to Bolivia's police, Cruz Torres was in the country irregularly and attempted to flee when he was located. His whereabouts were obtained from information received during Monday night.
He was detained alongside Gabriel Alexander Mendosilla Gómez. During the operation no weapons were found, although the authorities reported that he was carrying 10,000 United States dollars, 700 bolivianos, 10,000 Chilean pesos and several mobile phones.
Plastic surgery to evade identification
Bolivia's police further detailed that Cruz Torres had undergone multiple plastic surgery interventions for the purpose of altering his appearance and hampering his recognition. Among the changes detected were interventions to the ears, cheekbones and eyebrows, according to commander Álvarez Arismendi.
Source: Google News BO — Crime