New blow to the networks Sextortion with two old acquaintances of the security forces among those detained. The Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal organization that allegedly blackmailed more than 100 users of prostitution websites with the threat of informing their families and acquaintances that they had tried to contract sexual services, as reported this Sunday by the armed institute. It is estimated that they were able to pocket 250,000 euros. In the operation, 34 people have been arrested and another 27 have been declared under investigation. Among those captured are Ismael Bousnina Obando, alias Saveand Massinissa Ferrah Muñoz, Ericwho were already arrested in 2020, during the so-called Operation Lubido-Hezurra, as alleged leaders of what at that time was classified as the largest network of Sextortion of the country, which was then estimated to have reached 4,000 victims, as sources close to the investigation confirmed to EL PAÍS.
Salva and Erik are waiting to be tried in the National Court for those events after, in September 2022, Judge José Luis Calama prosecuted them for belonging to a criminal organization and extortion along with 90 other alleged members of that plot. Among those blackmailed then was Abelardo Fernández, former Sporting de Gijón and Barça player and then coach of Deportivo Alavés, according to the person affected.
The new criminal organization allegedly also led by Salva and Erik used similar methods to the first. He published fictitious advertisements on pages offering prostitution services with which potential clients contacted to arrange a meeting that ultimately did not take place. Those now detained then inquired into the personal details of these people – such as their place of residence, place of work or whether they had a partner – and then called them by phone and demanded payment of an amount of money with the argument that they had arranged a meeting. appointment through the website with one of the girls and that they had not attended, causing them alleged economic damage. If they did not hand over the amount of money, they threatened to spread the word among their surroundings that they were users of prostitution services.
If this was not enough, the plot did not hesitate to use death threats to coerce them. To do this, they presented themselves as members of an alleged mafia group from a country in the former Eastern Bloc and sent them videos showing tortured people who refused to pay or masked individuals wielding firearms or large machetes to intimidate them. . In the summary prepared in the National Court for the first plot of Salva and Erik dismantles, some of the telephone threats that the plot used to use were already recorded: “In half an hour I want my money and if not I will shoot you twice in the leg,” “Lower your voice if you don't want me to break your legs,” and “come on, son of a bitch, now you'll see, I'm going to shoot you twice when I see you; “I'm going to empty a magazine into your head.”
Now, the network had managed to get the victims to give them all the money they had saved and even get some to apply for personal loans until they became bankrupt. As highlighted by the Civil Guard in its press release, one of the victims required medical attention for months due to the serious psychological consequences suffered. Another was kidnapped in Benassal (Castellón). After forcing her into a van, they placed a plastic bag over her head and a large knife to her neck to force her to go to the bank to withdraw all the money from her bank account.
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The payments made by the victims, as was the case with the first plot, were deposited through the network into bank accounts opened in the name of what is known in police jargon as mules, people who, in exchange for a small financial commission, allow their names to be used to contract financial products. With them the ringleaders managed to prevent the money from being traced back to them. In most cases, these were people recruited from the streets. Later, one of the leaders of the organization, a regular at gambling establishments and betting houses, used these establishments to launder part of the money. Two of those investigated are workers at one of these premises.
An elderly woman, victim of 'phishing'
The investigators also detected that the network not only extorted users of prostitution pages, but also allegedly carried out banking scams – something similar had happened in Operation Lubido-Hezurra. To this end, through campaigns phishing (creation of web pages similar to the real ones of a company or bank) obtained the victims' data, contacted them posing as members of the security department of the financial institutions and accessed their accounts. One of these victims turned out to be an elderly woman over 70 years old, suffering from Alzheimer's.
Those now detained are charged with the alleged crimes of belonging to a criminal organization, money laundering, extortion, kidnapping, injuries, fraud, robbery, document falsification, illicit possession of weapons and crimes against public health. In the operation, seven home searches were carried out in the towns of Valencia, Burjassot, Alfafar, Sedaví and Tous, where 50 mobile phones, various bank cards, 6,505 euros in cash, 180 grams of hashish, 281 of marijuana and 164 of amphetamines, as well as prohibited weapons (extendable defense, personal defense spray and large machete) and spy cameras. Jewelry, watches, computer and electronic equipment, and false documentation have also been seized.
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