36 months of preventive detention for 15 investigated for extorting drivers in Callao and Lima Norte

Peruvian authorities have ordered 36 months of preventive detention for 15 individuals accused of belonging to the criminal organization "La red del silencio" (The Silence Network). These individuals are under investigation for extorting transport companies operating in the Callao and Lima Norte districts.

The group allegedly demanded daily payments from drivers, with amounts ranging from S/10 to S/40 per vehicle. In some cases, the demands escalated to S/70 per day. These extortions were carried out through WhatsApp messages and national and international phone calls, often accompanied by threats directed at the transporters.

The judicial order impacts individuals identified as Pablo Quezada, Alberto Sevilla, Delia Moreno, Renzo Arcelles, José Tablante, Maribel Ushinahu, Carlos Montes, José Angarita, Franyer Márquez, Teresa García, Víctor Serrano, Roberto Justo, Miguel Cabezas, Marco Tarrillo, and Katerin Quezada. In a separate measure, Auriani Díaz and César Quezada were placed under house arrest and ordered to adhere to conduct rules for three years.

These arrests were the result of a large-scale, simultaneous operation conducted on June 23 and 24 in Lima, Callao, and Chimbote (Áncash). The operation was led by provincial prosecutor Lía Balarezo Ramírez, with support from fellow prosecutors Helen Lozano, Diego Fuentes, and Doris Delgado, along with personnel from the National Police of Peru's Organized Crime Investigation Division. The Public Prosecutor's Office Against Organized Crime in Callao estimates that "La red del silencio" extorted over 190 vehicles in Lima and Callao, primarily in the Oquendo sector of Callao and in districts like San Martín de Porres and Los Olivos in Lima.