Colombian authorities assured that the criminals have already been issued a detention order. The theft of digital assets could have occurred because citizens had a virtual wallet on their cell phones with assets worth 43 million dollars. This is the fourth case in Colombia that involves this type of robberies in 2023.
Medellín authorities captured a group of criminals who stole cryptocurrencies from citizens of the Dominican Republic. This is the first time that the Colombian police have managed to seize digital assets in an operation.
The police in Medellín, Colombia, managed to find the whereabouts of two Colombian women who stole money, cryptocurrencies and belongings of three citizens of the Dominican Republic. According to information shared by El País, the criminals were contacted by tourists through social networks.
Police Seized Cryptocurrencies Stolen During Operation
The gang had a modus operando to find their victims. First they contacted them through social networks, then they profiled them and identified their economic capacity as well as their operations in the cryptocurrency market.
During the encounters, the women supplied their victims with drinks with a substance to make them lose consciousness, and later be able to steal their belongings. The citizens of the Dominican Republic took the criminals to the place where they lived. Once there, the thieves managed to get hold of cell phone passwords, debit and credit cards.
“After 16 hours of unconsciousness, those affected woke up and noticed that they were missing clothes, watches, cash and their bank cards. The criminals made 21 purchases in commercial establishments, for a value close to $11 million.”
The Colombian authorities claimed to have found cash from seven different countries, including Kenyan shillings, Brazilian reals and Dominican pesos that correspond to the Dominican Republic.
In addition to recovering the stolen material assets, the investigators seized the cryptocurrencies that were obtained under the modality of temporary suspension of the asset. The theft of digital assets could have occurred because citizens had a virtual wallet on their cell phones with assets that had a value of $43 million.
“It is the first time, in the country, that a measure is taken to capture or seize digital currencies, in this case, Bitcoin, it is done by the Prosecutor’s Office and with this it is already the fourth case that leaves captures this year. Nine people have been captured, seven are women.”
Crimes in the Colombian Cryptocurrency Market
In Colombia, cryptocurrencies have given rise to different types of crimes. In fact, a few weeks ago, a group of Colombian citizens reported an alleged scam on a trading platform. The complaints ensure that Solain does not allow them to withdraw their money.
In May, another scam related to the crypto world was reported in Colombia. A married couple from Riosucio, Caldas, decided to invest a large sum of money in an alleged crypto asset business. The business turned out to be a millionaire cryptocurrency scam, which is currently operating in different countries.
The scam is linked to a company called Goarbit, which was mentioned several times at the end of 2022 for having taken its investors’ savings.
By Audy Castaneda
