In a joint operation between the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection and the Attorney General's Office of Mexico City, three alleged members of a gang dedicated to credit card cloning and identity theft were arrested. The detention took place after the execution of a search warrant at a residence located in Benito Juárez, Mexico City, which, according to authorities, operated as the nerve center of this criminal network.
During the raid, agents seized 70 doses of apparent cocaine, 13 credit cards from various financial institutions, 9 false driver's licenses, 17 fraudulent official identifications, and a passport. These documents were sent to an alleged executive of a banking entity, who supervised the activation of credit cards in the names of the victims.
Once obtained, the cards were used to purchase expensive products that were stored on the property for eventual sale. The fraudulent purchases were made with these cloned cards before the acquired items were resold or stored at the same location.
Regarding the age of the detainees, it was notable that there was a 76-year-old man and two women aged 74 and 40. Despite this, according to the police, advanced age did not pose an obstacle, as the gang's modus operandi was effective and well-structured. The 76-year-old man had a criminal record, with previous charges for concealment and receiving in 2019 and fraud in 2018.
After the capture, the three individuals were made available to the Public Prosecutor's Office to determine their legal status and proceed with the investigations. It was established that the criminal organization operated through an organized system in which members were responsible for the forgery of documents.
At the raided residence, counterfeit documents, electronic devices, a scale, cash, and various valuable products were seized, which, according to authorities, were illegally acquired with the cloned cards. The sum of these elements reinforces the theory that the gang was engaged in broader criminal activities, such as drug trafficking.
