Nine Arrested in Ecuador for Extortion Operations

Ecuadorian National Police have arrested nine individuals accused of extorting merchants and ranchers in simultaneous operations across Chongón, Durán, Milagro, and Pascuales. These individuals allegedly used messaging applications to contact their victims, demanding sums ranging from $3,000 to $15,000.

According to police investigations, the victims received threatening messages and calls, with perpetrators threatening their lives, their families, and their property if the demands were not met. The apprehended individuals are between 15 and 30 years old and have been handed over to the judicial authorities for prosecution, as confirmed by the Minister of the Interior.

During the anti-extortion operations, authorities confiscated several items, including 14 cell phones, four deposit slips, one motorcycle, and cash. In a separate operation in Guayaquil, a woman was arrested for allegedly preparing doses of marijuana for sale. An Ecuadorian Army search of her residence uncovered approximately 3 kilograms of a substance believed to be marijuana, along with a tray containing the same material.