Four arrested over extortion of up to $20,000 from traders in Guayaquil
The Dinae arrested four members of the Los Tiguerones Fénix gang linked to extortion in Guayaquil, Durán, Samborondón and Daule. Among those implicated is an inmate who was directing operations from prison.
Anti-kidnapping operation captures four members of Los Tiguerones Fénix in Guayaquil
The Anti-kidnapping and Extortion Investigation Directorate (Dinae) arrested four people allegedly linked to the Los Tiguerones Fénix gang, accused of demanding payments of up to $20,000 from traders in Guayaquil and surrounding municipalities, eluniverso.com reported.
The operation, carried out on Friday 11 September, included six simultaneous raids in the sectors of Pascuales, La Aurora—in Daule—, Durán and Samborondón. The proceedings resulted from citizen reports received through QR codes, a mechanism that the commander of the Police Zone 8, Walter Villarroel, highlighted as key to the success of the procedure.
According to Villarroel, those implicated would have distributed flyers in commercial premises demanding single payments of $20,000 and weekly fees of $500. Those who refused to pay received threats against their lives and those of their relatives; in some cases, the intimidators went so far as to fire at the establishments.
The investigations made it possible to establish that a person deprived of liberty identified as Noah B. was coordinating operations from within a detention centre. Another member of the group, known by the alias Galito, was in charge of organising the personnel who visited the commercial premises to carry out the extortions.
During the raids, three vehicles were seized—one of them reported as stolen and the other two allegedly used in the extortions—, five mobile phones and cash. The four detainees have a criminal record for extortion, kidnapping, robbery, unlawful possession of firearms, receiving stolen goods and drug trafficking.
At least six formal reports of extortion appear to be linked to this group, Villarroel stated, calling on the public to report additional cases and identify members of the gang if they too were subjected to threats.
The police chief stressed that the blow directly affects the group's criminal economies by interrupting their source of financing. "We believe that the Police is again delivering results, a good blow to the structures. We are fulfilling our mission and the 3D strategy," Villarroel affirmed.
Source: Google News EC — Guayaquil