Capture of "John Pulpo" in La Paz: head of "Los Pulpos" to be deported to Peru
Bolivian police detained Jhonsson Smit Cruz Torres, alias "John Pulpo", leader of the criminal organisation "Los Pulpos", in La Paz. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Peru.
Arrest in La Paz: Bolivia expels head of "Los Pulpos" to Peru
Bolivia's police captured Jhonsson Smit Cruz Torres, alias "John Pulpo", leader of the criminal organisation "Los Pulpos", in La Paz, according to elperuano.pe. The operation concluded with his detention in an apartment building following a tip received on Monday evening.
The general commander of Bolivia's police, Adrián Javier Álvarez Arismendi, stated that identification, location and arrest work for deportation purposes began in January of this year. "This person, due to their dangerousness and the scale of criminal activities carried out from a base of operations in Peru, but which were also extended to the Republic of Chile and Argentina and which were intended to be developed in national territory, will be deported," Álvarez Arismendi said.
The commander highlighted the sustained international coordination with Peru's National Police and Chile's Investigation Police, agencies that actively participated in the efforts that led to the capture.
Life sentence in Peru and Interpol red notice
Cruz Torres already has a life sentence conviction in Peru for multiple offences. He also appears on Interpol's red notice list, a mechanism that facilitated international coordination ahead of his arrest.
Álvarez Arismendi confirmed that deportation would be executed on the same day as the capture, following instructions from the Ministry of Government and through a resolution by Bolivia's General Migration Directorate.
Plastic surgery to conceal identity
Cruz Torres attempted to flee when located by specialised units. He was in Bolivia irregularly. He was detained together with Gabriel Alexander Mendosilla Gómez.
At the time of his capture, he was not carrying weapons, but had with him 10,000 US dollars, 700 bolivianos, 10,000 Chilean pesos and several mobile phones.
The police authority further specified that the detainee had undergone various facial plastic surgeries in an attempt to alter his identity. "Among these, plastic surgeries have been detected on the ears, on the cheekbones, on the eyebrows, among others," Álvarez Arismendi said.
Interior Minister: transfer conducted with security reserve
Peru's Interior Minister, César Astudillo, earlier confirmed the capture of alias "John Pulpo" in the Bolivian capital. For security reasons, Astudillo requested that details of the transfer be kept confidential, with the aim of achieving the detainee's return to Peru as quickly as possible.
Astudillo emphasised that the detention represents significant progress in the fight against criminal organisations. According to the minister, the arrest will enable deeper intelligence and investigation actions aimed at locating other heads and members of criminal structures operating in the country.
Source: Google News BO — Crime