Over 303,000 dollars found in ambulance that left prosecutor Mariaca's residence
Bolivian police seized 303,270 dollars hidden in briefcases inside an ambulance that left the condominium of attorney general Roger Mariaca, detained for links to drug trafficking.
Money concealed in ambulance linked to Bolivia's attorney general
Bolivian police seized 303,270 dollars hidden in an ambulance departing from the condominium of attorney general Roger Mariaca in Santa Cruz, according to holanews.com, citing police commander Adrián Álvarez.
The discovery was made on Wednesday, a day after Mariaca's detention, during an operation in the vicinity of the residential building located in the eastern city of Santa Cruz. A private ambulance entered the condominium claiming it would transport an injured person. Upon leaving, officers intercepted it and found several briefcases containing currency in local currency and dollars, "skilfully concealed" in different compartments of the vehicle.
The total amount seized amounted to 3,532,100 bolivianos—equivalent to approximately 293,270 dollars—plus 10,000 dollars in cash, for a total of approximately 303,270 dollars. The money was placed in the custody of the Public Ministry.
Álvarez explained that the detentions of Mariaca and Santa Cruz's departmental prosecutor, Alberto Zeballos, were triggered by information provided by a police major arrested hours earlier in La Paz. In parallel, two individuals specialising in information technology were detained, accused of having entered Zeballos's residence to delete surveillance camera records, as well as eight officials from Santa Cruz's prosecutor's office who went to Mariaca's home to "remove documentation" related to the case.
Both prosecutors remain in the offices of the Special Force Against Drug Trafficking (Felcn) in El Alto, a city neighbouring La Paz, where they were transferred from Santa Cruz. The change of location was decided due to possible intervention by "criminal groups" that, according to Álvarez, were seeking to "interfere with police operations".
The detentions are part of the investigation against alleged Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, captured in Bolivia in March and extradited to the United States.
Presidential spokesperson José Luis Gálvez asserted that the detentions confirm the existence of "a structure" allegedly led by Mariaca together with other "public officials" linked to drug trafficking. Gálvez added that analysis of the detainees' phones revealed patterns of calls connecting them with organised crime members.
The detentions occurred two days after the United States government included Mariaca and Zeballos on a list of senior and former officials from three countries whose visas were revoked, accusing them of corruption and of "undermining democratically elected governments".
Source: Google News BO — Crime