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Two Extortion Suspects Arrested in Michoacán for Forcing Merchants to Sell Fake Cigarettes Image: Especial
🇲🇽 Mexico /Crime & Justice

Two Extortion Suspects Arrested in Michoacán for Forcing Merchants to Sell Fake Cigarettes

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Authorities in Uruapan, Michoacán, arrested two individuals, including a minor, for allegedly extorting merchants to sell counterfeit cigarettes.
  • The suspects were found with a large quantity of fake cigarettes, marijuana, and cell phones, and a notebook detailing merchant information.
  • Federal authorities are investigating this as a new method used by criminal groups to distribute illicit products within Mexico.

In Uruapan, Michoacán, a joint operation by the National Guard, Civil Guard, and the State Attorney General's Office led to the arrest of two men, identified as César “N” and a minor, on charges of extortion. The suspects allegedly forced local shopkeepers and small business owners to purchase and sell counterfeit cigarettes, a practice federal authorities are increasingly recognizing as a novel operational strategy employed by organized crime groups.

Merchants reported the two individuals, who operated from a vehicle, compelling them to buy the "illegal" cigarettes. During the arrest, authorities seized 14,400 counterfeit cigarettes, packaged in 72 cartons, along with 21 grams of marijuana and two mobile phones. A notebook containing the names and addresses of the targeted merchants was also recovered, suggesting a systematic approach to the extortion scheme.

Merchants reported the two men who traveled in a car, who forced them to buy 'illegal' cigarettes.

— Guardia NacionalDescribing the nature of the alleged extortion.

This incident highlights a concerning trend identified by federal authorities: criminal organizations are reportedly forcing merchants in Michoacán to stock and sell pirated cigarettes as a means of distributing products illegally imported into Mexico. This method appears to be a way for these groups to move contraband and generate revenue.

Recent seizures underscore the scale of the problem. In the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, the Navy and the National Customs Agency of Mexico confiscated a massive shipment of 52.5 million counterfeit cigarettes originating from Vietnam. Additionally, at the Mexico City International Airport, the Navy intercepted 5.8 million fake cigarettes from Singapore and Sri Lanka earlier this month. These large-scale confiscations indicate a significant flow of illicit tobacco products entering the country.

Federal authorities have detected that criminal groups are forcing merchants and shopkeepers in Michoacán to acquire pirated cigarettes for sale, as a way to move the product they bring into Mexico illegally.

— El UniversalExplaining the new modus operandi of criminal groups.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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