LA PAZ, May 30 (Xinhua) -- An international ring of online scammers based out of the east Bolivian city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra has been dismantled by police, the Bolivian Prosecutor's Office said Thursday.
Prosecutor Mirtha Mejia told reporters that the criminal ring targeted victims in Bolivia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru and Chile, extorting them by pretending to run a polling firm.
Police on Wednesday searched the building housing the fake firm and arrested nine of the suspected ring leaders, with some others still at large, said the prosecutor.
Mejia said the criminal ring initially operated in Peru. After being dismantled in the country, its network was relocated to Bolivia, where it continued its activities in 2023.
The suspects will be investigated for the alleged crimes of extortion and others, the prosecutor added. ■
