Peruvian criminal leader Miguel Angel Marin captured in Madrid, linked to transport worker extortion and contract killings amid Peru’s security crisis
MADRID: Peruvian criminal organisation leader Miguel Angel Marin was arrested Wednesday in a joint Spanish-Peruvian police operation.
Peru’s Interior Ministry confirmed the capture followed “patient intelligence work” coordinated with Madrid’s cybercrime division.
Marin was described as “a member of a criminal organization” connected to murders and multiple extortion schemes.
Authorities said his group targeted transportation workers, artists and businessmen in extortion campaigns.
The arrest marks a “significant achievement in the fight against transnational organized crime,” according to the ministry.
Peru faces a severe security crisis with extortion cases skyrocketing from about 2,400 in 2023 to over 15,300 in 2024.
This represents a 540% increase, with Lima recording the highest number of cases.
The extortion epidemic has worsened this year, with nearly 18,400 reports filed between January and August alone.
Last month’s impeachment of President Dina Boluarte brought the crisis to a breaking point.
Her successor Jose Jeri declared a state of emergency and deployed military forces to restore order. – AFP
