Members of the Municipal Police and traffic judges are practically running a network of corruption and extortion, stated Olivaldo Paz, president of the Tijuana National Chamber of Commerce (Canaco).
He described these practices as a mafia-like style that is driving away Anglo-Saxon tourists and is causing a drop in the number of foreign visitors.
“This is like a mafia, and I say this in all seriousness. I know what this entails, especially regarding our relationship with the authorities, the distance between us and them,” he said.
He recounted the case of a U.S. citizen who was extorted by a traffic judge for an illegal payment.
“He told him the bill was around 16,000 pesos. When the man was surprised, the judge asked him, ‘Do you want to settle this?’ Finally, he demanded $220 in cash,” Paz indicated.
He said that after learning of the complaint at Canaco, he confronted the official by phone to demand the return of the money.
I told him: you’re going to have to remember, because he’s a tourist who gave you $220. All I ask is that you return it to him like a gentleman. Immediately afterward, the man returned and got his money back, he assured.
He also recounted that in another case, a tourist was paid an extortion fee by a police officer through a digital bank transfer.
The business leader condemned what he considered institutional collusion, stating that “it can’t be possible that a judge, who is supposed to seek justice, is in collusion with the police.”
Finally, the president of Canaco Tijuana urged municipal authorities to put a stop to these practices that are destroying the local economy.
Source: oem
