This weekend, capital officials They caught two citizens disguised as police officers Robbery of tourists leaving El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
Apparently, the alleged criminals wore similar uniforms to imitate real officers and therefore They approach their victims outside the air terminal. Their ‘targets’ will be people who use transport via apps.
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According to authorities, two people were caught They were traveling in a private vehicle with fake license plates. They located potential victims, who could be both domestic and foreign passengers, in the 26th Street corridor.
(See: These are the 10 ways you can get robbed and the most burglary days in Bogotá)
When your victim is visualized, These fake police officers, armed with firearms, approached the person and stated that he had committed a crime.So they scared him and later stole some valuables from him.
This weekend the National Police spotted a suspicious car near the capital’s airport and after seizing the vehicle realized: The front and rear license plates for this were modified to evade checks via stickers placed on the actual license plate.
Additionally, during the investigation, it was determined that the people inside were carrying firearms.
“This requirement allows us to identify two individuals, a man and a woman, who are carrying a firearm,” Col. Wilford Méndez, Bogotá Police Specialized Support Operations Commander, told CityTv news.
Additionally, the National Police claimed in a statement that they were caught red-handed “trying to rob two citizens who were traveling on public roads and had just arrived from a national flight.”
Thanks to citizens’ complaints It was determined that these people disguised themselves as police officers and deceived the passengers and stole valuable items.
The colonel added to the cited media: “What can be established from the four complaints we received is that they are intended to deceive travelers, impersonate officials, impersonate police officers.”
The victims of these fake police officers will be passengers who do not take taxi services in the relevant bays, but instead use unofficial transport meters in front of airport gates that are quite far away.
After the arrest, authorities determined that the persons against whom charges were already pending Records are kept for falsification of private documents, personal falsification, abuse of trust, theft and assault on public officials.
Currently, the National Police is conducting an investigation to determine whether the arrests are linked to such theft affecting local and foreign tourists visiting the country’s most important air terminal.
Meanwhile, two people were caught They were placed at the disposal of the competent authority for the crime of manufacturing, trading, transporting or possessing firearms, accessories, parts or ammunition.
So far in 2023, thefts from people are on the rise in Bogotá. The levels recorded this year have not been seen for a decade.
During 409 cases per day were reported in the first six months of this yearat least 10 different methods, The most common are: Tickle, rape, robbery, identity theft, SIM card swapping, car towing, scopolamine use and phishing, smishing and vishing‒manipulation techniques through emails, texts and phone calls.
According to data from the Security Secretariat and the National Police Statistics System (Siedco), the complexity of the problem becomes clear: 74,074 thefts were reported in the first half of 2023 alone; This was the highest figure in the last 13 years. Compared to those in the same periods. This represents an increase of 29.4 percent compared to the previous year and a 22 percent increase compared to 2019, the year with the highest record.
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Source: Exame
