Peruvian authorities have dismantled an 18-member criminal organization that laundered extortion proceeds through a casino and sports betting outlets in Lima.
The Peruvian National Police (PNP) arrested all members of the group known as “Cuentas del Miedo” during coordinated raids across multiple districts of the capital. The organization had extorted at least nine public transport companies since 2023, collecting more than PEN9m ($2.4m) in payments.
Jorge Chávez Cotrina, Prosecutor at the Ministerio Público, said: “The criminal organization managed to launder up to nine million soles through deposits in betting shops and casinos.”
According to prosecutors, the group used Apuesta Total and Atlantic City Casino as primary channels to integrate illicit funds into the financial system. In some cases, victims were instructed to transfer extortion payments directly into accounts linked to these venues, creating a transactional trail that masked the origin of the funds.
Manuel Lozada, Director of Criminal Investigation at the PNP, said the group operated under multiple aliases, including “Los Mexicanos,” “Los Trujillanos” and “Los Norteños,” among others.
Among those arrested was Wilber Joel Huansi Salas, an active member of the Peruvian Army, whose role remains under investigation. Authorities also detained Víctor Eduardo Meza Escobar, known as “Chileno,” previously identified by officials as a suspected extortionist, along with Hilary Apolo Gutiérrez. Both are accused of receiving and redistributing illicit funds.
Police have requested 15-day preliminary detention orders and are seeking authorization to carry out additional searches in prison facilities, amid suspected links between inmates and the network.
Authorities also confirmed that individuals connected to known members of the group, including the partner of a suspect known as “Pitbull,” were detained as part of the operation.
Names such as “Los Mexicanos,” “Los Trujillanos” and “Los Norteños” are often used as interchangeable aliases by extortion networks in Peru, rather than distinct criminal groups
