Crime in Peru: More than 140,000 cell phones were reported stolen in March

Crime in the country is increasingly dangerous and cell phone theft is the most common type of crime. No one can walk easy, as thieves are lurking around at all times and starting mobile devices from car windows, house doors and distracted passers-by.

According to Osiptel, in March of this year alone, more than 140,000 cases of cell phone theft were reported in the country.

“There are 4,529 cell phones stolen daily in March of this year,” Luis Pacheco Zevallos, director of inspection and instruction at Osiptel, told América TV.

“In March (the amount) was 140 thousand 412; in January, 129 thousand 214; in February, 120 thousand 790 total,” he added.

As for the measures being taken to stop this type of theft and to prevent stolen artifacts from ending up on the black market, collaboration with telephone companies is being chosen, Zevallos said.

“What we do now in collaboration with companies. They run every week to identify the invalid cell phones that have just been altered, that are working on the network and are blocked,” he said.

In addition, he noted that several cell phones are blocked every week, whose data are then identified and sent to authorities such as the Ministry of the Interior and the Peruvian National Police (PNP).

These types of robberies are constantly caught on security cameras in various districts.

In San Juan de Lurigancho, a security camera recorded when a mother runs after being threatened by a thief. She threw her phone away from danger, but he picked it up and fled with his accomplice in a motorcycle taxi.

On the other hand, in the first stage of the Santa Luisa de Oquendo urbanization in Callao, residents say they are terrified by the constant robberies. Criminals often surprise their victims outside the cellars or while walking on the streets, on linear motorcycles. In addition, they have no mercy and persecute people who oppose theft.

In El Agustino, cameras captured how a young man was dragged by thugs on board a motorcycle taxi. The victim of the attempted robbery did not let go of his cell phone and the vehicle ended up crashing into a park fence. Then, while a passerby came to the aid of the young man, the criminals fled leaving the motorcycle taxi behind.

Another case, in the same district, is that of a neighbor who was assaulted by the driver of a motorcycle taxi she had boarded. The guy stripped her of her belongings violently and, in the struggle, the lady fell. When she prepared to flee, the criminal ran over her.

In La Victoria, two fake customers entered a mini-market pretending they were going to buy something. A third person came in and called the local worker to get him a drink. While he was taking care of his order, he walked away from the counter, and it was at that moment the other two guys took the opportunity to steal his cell phone. The guy put the device in the backpack of his sidekick, who pretended he was talking on his cell phone and they left the store as if nothing had happened.

The modalities for carrying out cell phone theft are varied, both in Lima and in the provinces, so that they end up on the black market where they are unlocked and sold as new , although many of the buyers are aware of their criminal origin.

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