Butifarra distributors are the brand new goal of extortion in Soledad, Atlántico

In latest weeks, butifarreros have been the goal of threats from males who look like members of a felony construction – credit score Colprensa

Extortion in Soledad, Atlántico is an issue that impacts the safety and stability of many retailers. The sort of crime is often perpetrated by felony gangs that demand common funds in change for “safety” or to keep away from violent reprisals.

The scourge of extortion is starting to unfold to small enterprise homeowners, who on this municipality make a residing getting ready and promoting the standard sausage known as butifarra.

The newspaper El Heraldo confirmed with numerous sources and retailers, who requested to stay nameless, that in latest weeks butifarreros have been the goal of threats from males who look like members of a felony construction, forcing them to present them a sum of cash – both month-to-month or weekly – to permit them to proceed with their work. This, on the similar time, with the variety of institutions (barber outlets, shops, amongst others) that closed their doorways for a similar causes.

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“The reality is that the state of affairs is sort of difficult, it appears that evidently there are not any authorities in Soledad. They extort us and even those that promote crimson wine,” stated a number of retailers within the heart of the municipality.

Based on retailers, these alleged criminals have often requested as much as $2,000,000 million pesos monthly in money from a number of the homeowners of institutions the place butifarra is offered.

“We’re ready for the authorities to attempt to take care of the state of affairs. Individuals really feel insecure and distrustful. Nothing is occurring right here, increasingly more companies are closing. Many people are attempting to make progress, however it’s now not doable. They suppose that it will herald tens of millions, however it isn’t so. We lend, we take cash from right here and there to help ourselves. Quickly we might not even be capable to eat,” complained one of many distributors.

“We choose to not speak about it for the security of every one. The difficulty is so worrying that we can not proceed to develop, or make publicity, due to that very same worry. I do know individuals near me who’ve been contacted by a number of individuals from numbers which are unknown to us,” he added.

The scourge of extortion is starting to unfold to small companies – credit score Luisa González/REUTERS

Apparently, the modus operandi is to cost them as soon as. In the event that they refuse, they find yourself being robbed and people homeowners are then contacted by the alleged thieves. “The return of the automobile can value as much as 4 million pesos.”

“I’m a businessman and I’ve seen how outdated companies find yourself closing. The anti-kidnapping and anti-extortion police solely got here right here as soon as, greater than a month in the past. They haven’t given us the help we should always have,” added a resident.

On Friday, April 5, 2024, Wilson Alfonso Luna Pérez, alias Cocuán, a hitman and extortionist from ‘los Costeños’, accused of murdering a fuel station employee for not paying a ‘vaccine’, was captured in Barranquilla.

Within the midst of hearings to legalize the arrest and produce prices, the Prosecutor’s Workplace revealed witness testimonies, ballistic evaluation, and photographic and video data, which reveal the extortion strategies of the felony group led by Jorge Eliécer Díaz Collazos, alias Castor.

The deceased sufferer was recognized as Jorge Armando Molinares Malvido, who was shot useless in October 2023 at his office, the place Cocuán arrived on a motorbike with one other confederate to gather extortion.

Alias ​​Cocuán murdered a employee at a fuel station in Barranquilla – credit score: Barranquilla Police

Through the listening to earlier than the 14th Municipal Prison Decide with capabilities of assure management, the prosecutor in control of the case offered the small print of the occasions that occurred on October 25, 2023. The proof offered described how Molinares Malvido was finishing up his work schedule on the San Antonio Service Station, within the southeast of Barranquilla, when he was approached and subsequently attacked with photographs by Luna Pérez and a companion.

A witness stated that the sufferer tried to withstand the demand for cash, at which level one of many attackers threatened to shoot him if he didn’t agree at hand over the requested quantity.

“An eyewitness stated that the sufferer struggled with the 2 individuals. He even heard considered one of them say: hand over the cash, are you going to get your self killed?… That very same particular person additionally stated: do you suppose this gun is faux?… I will shoot you after which he fired,” the Prosecutor’s Workplace stated.

Based on the investigation, the motive for the assault arose from a requirement for fee by the attackers, allegedly associated to earlier extortions carried out from jail by two leaders of ‘los Costeños’, recognized beneath the aliases of Ojeda and Cachete.