Four CICPC police officers detained for stealing money from earthquake rubble in La Guaira
Citizens recorded video footage of four agents from Venezuela's Scientific Investigation Corps while they extracted dollars from the remains of buildings collapsed by earthquakes in La Guaira. Authorities confirmed the detentions and expulsion of those involved.
Four CICPC police officers detained for stealing money from earthquake rubble in La Guaira
Residents of the area affected by earthquakes on the Venezuelan Caribbean coast caught four agents from the Scientific, Criminal and Forensic Investigation Corps (CICPC) in the act as they attempted to appropriate cash money found among the remains of collapsed buildings in the state of La Guaira.
The incident occurred one week after two earthquakes measuring magnitude 7.5 and 7.1 struck the region, leaving multiple buildings destroyed. Neighbours who were participating in rescue operations recorded videos showing one of the officers holding a bundle of dollar bills whilst people surrounding him demanded that he hand over the money. Under pressure from the crowd, the uniformed officer responded with the phrase "agarra sustancia", a colloquial expression in Venezuela equivalent to asking for maturity or sound judgment.
The indignation of those present grew to the point that the community decided to snatch the bills and destroy them to prevent the officers from keeping the haul. "Now there is nothing, there is no evidence even", can be heard said by one of the complainants in the images circulated on social media.
Diosdado Cabello, minister of justice of the Venezuelan government, subsequently confirmed that the four police officers were captured and expelled from the institution for "dishonouring their uniform". Through a statement on his social media, Douglas Rico, director of the CICPC, described the officers' conduct as "unbecoming" and noted that they had appropriated "economic values found among the rubble". Both authorities assured that from the Executive they would be "totally intolerant" of immoral acts committed in the midst of tragedy.
The episode adds to a series of complaints from residents of La Guaira and Caracas about the conduct of law enforcement during the emergency. In recent days, citizens had pointed out that police forces were prioritising the rescue of vehicles and personal belongings over the search for people trapped alive. International rescue organisations, such as the Chilean Topos and the Aztec Topos of Mexico, have also denounced obstacles from Venezuelan military for conducting their operations, including repeated requests for documentation and pressure from local media outlets.
Source: El Colombiano and El País
Source: Google News VE — Crime