Major General Eliécer Camacho Jiménez, commander of the Bogotá Metropolitan Police, announced that two people posing as officials of the Criminal Investigation Section, SIJIN, were captured after several people in the Modelia neighborhood reported that two subjects had stolen 2 cell phones and 4 millions of pesos. The authorities managed to capture these two false policemen, while they intended to escape in a taxi.
Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo de los Ríos, Police Inspection Officer, said:
Despite the words of the uniformed, several reports have been made in recent days of people taking advantage of these situations to rob and/or extort money from their victims by telephone calls or also in person.
For example, a week ago, the report of two merchants who claim to have been beaten, assaulted and who also tried to be kidnapped by alleged agents of the CTI, in the town of Barrios Unidos, was reported. They pointed out that the false agents arrested them for a search, even one of the victims said that they arrived on an official motorcycle and that, although the “official” did not wear the characteristic jacket, he had a green police vest.
The merchants who were in the car were arrested, asked for the documents and approached them with other uniformed subjects wearing CTI vests, who requested that they open the trunk, they added that they were all armed. At that time they were threatened with guns to get into another vehicle, but the neighbors of the sector became aware of the facts and went out to help the victims.
Also, a few days ago it was reported in the municipality of Cota that, in the middle of the town's central park, two men approached three minors, accusing them of allegedly being drug dealers. Once the girls were cornered, they threatened them, telling them that they were being followed, that they even knew where they lived. At the time of the alleged capture, the guys took away their cell phones in order to verify the alleged sale of hallucinogens or narcotics. Then the women released them without their belongings and the guys ran away.
Another event that was reported, in Barranquilla, was how subjects, through telephone calls, posed as alleged police officers. They told the victims that a family member had an accident, or that they had an inconvenience such as a quarrel, so they must pay a fine or answer for the alleged damages.
Once the victim was deterred, the fake cops showed them a savings account where they must record the money, which will supposedly pay the fine or help the relative in the accident.
That is why Lieutenant Colonel De los Ríos recommended that citizens check if these people really are real police officers, that they belong to the institution, for this they can call line 123, there they will be able to verify whether SIJIN or other entities are actually conducting operations.
In addition, the authorities advised people to always be wary of calls or messages from unknown numbers. They added that no personal data should be given and when the events occur they are communicated to the hotlines to make the complaint. For this, you can contact line 165, where GAULA agents will attend requests for extortion and/or kidnapping.
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