In the north of Misiones, three men were arrested and accused of being part of a criminal gang that passed through agents of the Argentine Federal Police (PFA). Following a complaint, intelligence tasks culminated in a significant operation deployed in the rural area of Pozo Blanco. The suspects are being investigated for the crime of extortion against a rural producer who was threatened with the kidnapping of an agricultural machine.
This Wednesday, around 8 PM, a woman approached a local police station, alerting personnel that a black truck with three men had entered the property of a neighbor, located on Provincial Route No. 20, without authorization. According to her, the occupants of the vehicle were aggressive and armed.
Local media outlet, Primera Edición, reported that upon receiving the complaint, a patrol unit was dispatched to the scene. They managed to intercept a Volkswagen Amarok containing the three suspects pointed out by the woman.
Immediately, officers subdued and identified the suspects: MGB (29) and Mer (30), both employees of a car dealership, alongside Sif (28), an active-duty officer in the Eldorado Radioelectric Command Division.
The owner of the property informed officers that this was not the first instance in which he received threats from these men.
In his testimony, he recounted that just last Friday, the same individuals coerced him into handing over 800 thousand pesos in cash, under the pretense of being Federal Police agents and threatening to kidnap a tractor if he refused. This operation was executed through manipulation and intimidation tactics.
The detained suspects were taken to the Pozo Blanco police station, pending court proceedings. Furthermore, police took the formal statement from the victim, and the corresponding judicial procedures began.
A representative from the Police Headquarters stated that the arrests formed part of an institutional initiative aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the law enforcement agency. They also indicated that the investigation remains open to identify if there are additional victims of these fraudulent schemes, both in Pozo Blanco and its neighboring areas.
Earlier this year, a couple was arrested for allegedly extorting a member of the notorious Newell’s Old Boys fanbase, linked to a dissident faction led by Alejandro “Rengo Fica” Ficcadenti.
The case, which alleged threats relating to drug trafficking, was handled by prosecutor Luis Schiappa Pietra of the organized crime unit.
The operation in the Las Flores neighborhood involved collaboration from the Division Operational Unit of Special Investigations of the Federal Police after criminal judge Lorena Aronne issued the necessary orders.
According to information from The Citizen, this operation aimed to dismantle a criminal group threatening Antonio Mauro, a member of the Newell’s fanbase who is currently a fugitive from justice due to charges of illicit association.
The threats made on April 6 included a demand for 20 million pesos in exchange for not attempting to take Mauro’s life. These threats were reportedly accompanied by references to the murder of Gustavo “Guli” Bovio, which occurred in March on Spain Street.
Investigative efforts by the Federal Police were able to link one of the telephone numbers utilized in threatening messages to Nahuel Iván C., an individual associated with the Cantero family, the criminal network known as Los Monos.
During a search conducted at Nahuel C.’s residence, located at 6400 Moreno, both he and his partner, Daiana S., were apprehended, facing charges for simple extortion in an attempted degree.