MADRID, Spain. – About one week ago, two US Dollar peddlers from the informal market were arrested on January 29th after committing a violent crime. The robbers were wearing hoods and carried firearms at the time of the illegal sale of hard currency. The robbery occurred in the Chibás neighborhood in the Guanabacoa municipality of Havana.
According to information found on “La Página de Mauro Torres”, a State Security Facebook page that was shared on the official site www.minint.cubava.cu, “the alleged Dollar peddlers arranged a meeting with the victims, and after intimidating them with two firearms, they stripped them of 880,000 pesos, chains and a purse. They wore hoods and fired shots into the air.
According to the release, after being alerted by witnesses, “patrol cars 707D and 130D” showed up at the crime site, “as well as police officers from the National Police Station in Guanabacoa.” The release indicates that the firearms were recovered, as well as the victims’ money.
On videos shared in social media the police officers can be seen arresting the robbers, and a crowd of Cubans watching the event; some of them were yelling at the robbers, and beating them.
Violent robberies are on the rise in Cuba
Every day there are more violent robberies in the island. Last December, a 58-year-old Cuban man was beaten on the head while thieves were trying to rob him, in Pinar del Río province. The victim was beaten by three individuals with their fists and with stones.
In November, two physicians were assaulted in the Tulipán neighborhood in Cienfuegos province. The robbers stole one motorcycle, a cellular phone and some other belongings.
That same month, the official daily Granma alerted the population that social media is being used to offer “the illicit sale or purchase of hard currency.”
“The criminals’ interest is to tap large sums of money, and for that purpose, the agree to meet with their victims in order to carry on with the shakedown, generally in tall buildings and remote places, or residences with several points of entry and exit; this ends up in a robbery through trickery, deception or intimidation of the target individuals, physical force, weapons or other objects,” Granma explained.
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