Four police officers arrested in Venezuela for theft following earthquakes
Four Venezuelan police officers were arrested for looting a children's safe box from the rubble of a building destroyed by the earthquakes.
Four police officers arrested in Venezuela for theft following earthquakes
Four Venezuelan police officers were arrested for committing theft in an area devastated by a double earthquake. The earthquakes left at least two thousand dead and thousands of people remain missing. The country's Ministry of Justice reported the arrests after videos of the incidents went viral on social media, according to reports from AFP and the BTA news agency.
In one of the clips, a uniformed officer is seen holding a small deformed children's safe box, presumably extracted from the rubble of a collapsed building that contained dollar bills. In the images, the police officer is surrounded by enraged citizens demanding that he release the object. In another video, a woman tears up banknotes that had been taken by the officers.
This Friday, the Ministry of Justice released material in which the same officer hands over his firearm and removes his uniform, along with images of four other colleagues who participated in the looting.
"A group of officials who deviated from their duties and took advantage of current rescue operations acted in an unworthy manner by appropriating objects found in the rubble," the official statement said. The document also highlights that the police officers were arrested, dismissed and placed at the disposal of justice.
Following the earthquakes in Venezuela, numerous thefts and looting incidents were recorded. In response to the situation, the authorities mobilised military units to maintain public order through a state of emergency, although eyewitnesses claim that crimes continue, according to reports from AFP and BTA.
Source: 24 Chasa