As part of ongoing operations to combat extortion targeting merchants and business owners, Nayarit Attorney General Ludmila Heredia Verdugo announced that authorities uncovered a scheme in the municipality of Santa María del Oro in which local businesses were allegedly forced to purchase beer from a single supplier.
According to the attorney general, merchants who refused to buy the product were subjected to physical assaults. Authorities have arrested suspects, seized a property connected to the operation, and confiscated beer believed to be counterfeit.
“In Santa María del Oro, we seized beer with a consistency different from commercially available products. Businesses were forced to buy it from one individual, and if they refused, they were beaten with wooden boards. It was cheaper for them to buy beer at a supermarket than from this supplier. There are people under arrest, the beer has been confiscated, the properties have been secured, and businesses are now free to purchase and sell products without restrictions,” Heredia Verdugo said.
Authorities Also Report Progress Against Other Extortion Schemes
The attorney general added that authorities also identified cases in the municipalities of Compostela, Bahía de Banderas, and Xalisco involving counterfeit grocery products and an illegal surcharge imposed on egg sales.
According to Heredia Verdugo, suspects allegedly charged a 10% “tax” on eggs on behalf of a criminal group. She said those responsible have been arrested.
“I can tell you that extortion involving egg sales has been eliminated in the municipalities of Compostela, Bahía de Banderas, and Xalisco. A 10% surcharge was being imposed for a criminal group. Today, residents who previously paid 40 pesos for eggs can now buy them for 20 pesos, and those responsible have been arrested,” she stated.
Authorities are expected to release additional information regarding how the network operated, the total number of people arrested, and how many businesses were affected in Santa María del Oro.
Source: heraldodemexico
