Four CICPC agents arrested in Venezuela for theft in earthquake-devastated zone
Police officers were caught extracting cash from the rubble of collapsed buildings in La Guaira, the epicentre of the earthquakes that shook the Caribbean nation.
Four CICPC agents arrested in Venezuela for theft in earthquake-devastated zone
Officials from the Venezuelan detective corps were taken into custody on Tuesday after residents caught them searching through the remains of collapsed buildings in the coastal state of La Guaira, the zone hardest hit by the seismic movements that occurred days earlier.
Neighbours recorded images showing uniformed officers from the Scientific, Penal and Criminalistics Investigation Corps (CICPC) taking banknotes from among the debris. In one of the recordings, an officer can be seen holding a bundle of dollars. The community intervened, recovered the funds and destroyed them.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed the arrest of the four officers and their immediate removal from the institution. "This cannot go unpunished," said the head of the Justice portfolio. Douglas Rico, the top official at the CICPC, also validated the information through his digital channels.
The tremors, which reached magnitudes of 7.5 and 7.1, caused the collapse of several buildings in La Guaira, leaving a toll of three dead and numerous injured. The region remains on alert as removal operations continue.
The incident has sparked criticism from the population, which claims that certain members of the security forces have hindered the work of foreign rescue brigades and have prioritised the removal of vehicles rather than rescuing people alive.
Source: Euronews
Source: Google News VE — Crime