Police Arrest Two Gang Members For Kidnapping
The kidnappers held the merchant captive, while demanding ten million lempiras in exchange for his release.
The detainees are: Elkin Cristel Orellana Quinteros, 36 years old, and Celso Ramos Medina, 72. – Photo: tunota
The National Police captured two members of the 18th gang on Monday after freeing a merchant, who had been kidnapped last Saturday and for whose ransom 10 million lempiras were demanded , in Puerto Cortés.
The detainees, identified as Elkin Cristel Orellana Quinteros, 36, and Celso Ramos Medina, 72, alias “El Vejo,” were arrested in the El Chaparro neighborhood of Choloma, after two simultaneous raids carried out by an anti-kidnapping squad.
According to authorities, the businessman, who has several businesses in Puerto Cortés, was intercepted on Saturday afternoon, while he was working with his family.
The kidnappers took him to Choloma, where they held him captive, while demanding ten million lempiras in exchange for his release.
However, the family did not pay the ransom. After informing the police, an operation was activated which resulted in the successful release of the businessman, who was evaluated by forensic experts and returned to the care of his relatives.
Kidnappers belong to criminal groups in the northern zone
National Police spokesman Ronald Posada said that the detainees belong to gang structures and that other evidence related to possible additional crimes, such as car theft and home robbery, is being analyzed.
“We already have some information that these people belonged to some kind of gang, which is why they would be trying to commit this type of deprivation of liberty,” Posada told Noticieros Hoy Mismo.
At the same time, he reported that the captured men intended to steal vehicles and burglarize homes. “We have already proven it and we are going to hand over the findings (…) to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.”
The investigation will continue under the supervision of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Other cases
On March 1, a 38-year-old woman faked her kidnapping in the village of Agua Dulcita, in the municipality of El Rosario, Comayagua, while she was in the company of her lover.
In this case, relatives also received threatening messages requesting her rescue, accompanied by a video in which she appeared with her arms tied and gagged.
However, the woman was found by the authorities, who arrested her for faking her kidnapping.
On March 6, police rescued an 11-year-old girl who had allegedly been kidnapped by her relatives. However, police revealed that it was a self-kidnapping because the girl did not want to travel with her parents to Spain.
