The Yaracuy state security authorities reported on Tuesday the kidnapping of a merchant of Asian origin and two people, perpetrated by three criminals during the theft of a vehicle.
The victims were rescued and the thieves fled, reported the head of the Yaracuy Integral Defense Zone (Zodi), Héctor Mora Pérez, and the Secretary of Citizen Security of the Interior, Rogelio Vásquez Calzadilla, during a press conference.
Mora Pérez added that the merchant named Rafael Fan Wu, was detained by a group of antisocials on Monday night, after closing his business, located in the central area of San Felipe, and was taken along with two of his employees in your own vehicle.
Neighbors of the sector reported the incident to the police authorities through the 171 emergency telephone system, who immediately activated a special search device.
According to what was captured by the surveillance cameras, the criminals left the two workers in front of the passenger terminal of the Independencia municipality, at the exit of the city of San Felipe, and continued with the detained merchant to the municipality of La Trinidad, about 10 minutes from San Felipe, where he was abandoned in a wooded area.
The Secretary of Citizen Security, Rogelio Vásquez Calzadilla, commented that at 1:45 in the morning the merchant Rafael Fan Wu was located, after 4 hours of tracking and monitoring, but not his vehicle.
“As soon as we received the complaint through 171, all the security agencies joined and began the siege of the entire city and the main roads, to prevent both the vehicle and the people detained from being taken out of the territory,” he explained.
He emphasized that the security forces continue the intelligence work to find the stolen vehicle and the people who participated in this criminal act.
Clarify rumors about merchant kidnapping
The representative of Citizen Security of the Government took advantage of the meeting to deny some rumors generated on social networks about the participation of alleged police or military personnel in the robbery and kidnapping.
“No military or police official has anything to do with this criminal act. We security agencies are here to defend citizens, to provide them with peace of mind, which is why we ask people not to echo these types of unfounded rumors that all they do is discredit our honorable security forces,” said Vázquez. Calzadilla.
He also clarified that although the merchant was held for several hours by the criminals, no kidnapping took place, since there was no request or delivery of money by the victim and he recovered “in record time.”
Lastly, he highlighted that in the civic-military union, security is increasingly being optimized in all areas, with a growing increase in officials, use of the tele-surveillance system and greater police presence in the communities.
