According to official data, this crime is already the most frequent, above theft on public roads or in public transport.
During 2018, the last year for which information is available, the crime of extortion left the criminal gangs that operate in the country with economic resources of 12 billion pesos, revealed the National Information Center (CNI) of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC).
This represents 4 billion pesos more compared to 2017, in which gains for the crime were estimated at 8 billion pesos.
Extortionists are increasingly successful, in such a way that this crime is already the most frequent, above theft on public roads or in public transport, in 14 of the 32 entities of the Republic, among them Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Jalisco. said the head of the CNI, David Pérez Esparza.
“Not only has the amount of extortion crimes increased, but extortionists as such are increasingly successful, and we can see that in the last year, that we have information from INEGI’s ENVIPE, during 2018, extortionists they obtained 12 billion pesos as a product of extortion in general “
While chairing the second meeting of the Measurement Commission for the National Police and Civic Justice Model (MNPJC), the official reported that to date the CNI has received more than 150 thousand telephone calls to 089, of which more than half They are related to the five types of extortion and telephone fraud identified: the threat of physical harm, obtaining data, virtual kidnapping, support in an emergency and the business extortion.
Criminals use various methods for extortion
“We must put extortion at the center of the debate, recognize the issue as a criminal phenomenon that is very important and that can increase even more during the pandemic, we hope that is not the case, but we must be prepared to make risk maps”
According to Pérez Esparza, around 50% of the telephone numbers registered in the National Base show that the alleged extortionist identified himself to the victim as a member of organized crime, a relative, intimidator, kidnapper, or employee of a banking institution.
Faced with this situation, the head of the National Information Center pointed out that they are working on a study on spatial and temporal patterns, as well as the modus operandi in which extortion occurs.
He said that the data collected in the more than 150 thousand complaints received in 089 will be incorporated into the Multi-source System “to estimate the crime incidence, which was presented a few weeks ago.
In addition, Pérez Esparza affirmed that they will seek to establish agreements for the exchange of information with telephone service providers, through the Federal Telecommunications Institute.
As well as communication campaigns to let citizens know that it is already safe to report extortion or fraud numbers, to 089.
Source: eluniversal.com.mx, sipse.com
