Colombian gang arrested in Chile: posed false drug-trafficking accusations to steal mobile phones
A gang of Colombian thieves was captured in Chile after using an unusual tactic: accusing their victims of selling drugs in order to rob them of their telephones.
Colombian gang dismantled in Chile for fraud and mobile phone theft
Google News CO — Crime reports the downfall of a gang of Colombian thieves operating in Chile, who employed an unusual method to strip their victims of their mobile phones.
The modus operandi consisted of falsely accusing victims of selling drugs in their area. Under this pressure, members of the group intimidated those affected and exploited the situation of vulnerability to snatch their mobile phones from them.
Chilean authorities succeeded in identifying and dismantling the organisation following corresponding investigations. Those detained are of Colombian nationality, according to reporting by Infobae.
The scheme combines elements of extortion and theft, which initially hindered its detection by local security forces. Victims, threatened with accusations of drug trafficking, in many cases opted not to report the incident.
The gang operated on the logic that a false allegation of drug trafficking would dissuade those affected from going to the police, which allowed it to prolong its criminal activity for an unspecified period.
Source: Google News CO — Crime