Madrid/Eight people – five men and three women – have been detained in Guantánamo for a crime of fraud in the purchase and sale of US dollars. The network had been operating in the province since at least July, but its operations extended to Havana, Villa Clara and Las Tunas, according to official police information.
The news was spread by the Heroes in Blue accountan official profile intended to praise the successful operations of the Ministry of the Interior forces. According to the publication, in the operation they seized 100,000 Cuban pesos (just $227 at the informal exchange rate on Tuesday), cell phones and lines that were used to carry out the fraud. The economic impact of their activities is six million pesos and 1,000 dollars, according to the Police.
The scammers used currency trading groups on social networks to select victims, agreed with them on a currency delivery point, and fled the scene after receiving the money. “The authorities urged the population to report similar events, in order to contribute to justice and citizen security,” says the post, which recalls that this crime establishes prison sentences – between six months and one year – for those who commit it, as well as other additional measures that range from the confiscation of illicitly obtained assets to disqualification from certain functions.
The economic impact of their activities is six million pesos and 1,000 dollars, according to the Police
Heroes in blue echoed the same day of information much less precise about the arrest of workers at the Camagüey cemetery for allegedly participating in the illegal sale of vault capacities for burials. According to police details, those involved “obtained illegitimate economic benefits through these practices, which affect the transparency and dignity of funeral services.”
It is unknown how many people are being investigated for these events, but its mere dissemination has served to several people from Camagüey to warn that the funeral home itself commits illicit practices by prioritizing burials in exchange for money. “The day I went to bury my mother, one of the gravediggers offered me a grave for her alone for 10,000 pesos. A lack of respect,” a user denounced. “There are still those from the funeral home, who charge $5,000 to prioritize transfers,” highlighted another.
In recent years, the ruling party has created an ecosystem of related accounts that spread numerous crimes, always when they have already been detected or the cases have been resolved. Most of the time, these are relatively minor cases: small scams, minimal drug seizures or cases of corruption that, although they have an impact on the lives of citizens, do not stand out for their relevance.
A frequent reproach by readers of these profiles is that they do not provide information about major cases of corruption and crimes involving high-ranking state officials.
