Extortion Calls
From La Reforma
Prison Continue
Prisoners of La
Reforma continue
using contraband
cellular phones
from their cells
to extort their
victims on the
outside,
demanding cash
payment to bank
accounts or
associates on
the oustise in
return for the
safety of the
victim and their
families.
Prison officials
have failed in
their attempts
to curb the
problem that has
been ongoing for
some years,
including
installing
cellular
blocking
controls and
tighter measures
to avoid the
entry of the
contraband
phones into the
prison.
In the past,
prisoners would
use the prison's
fixed lines
phones to make
contact with
their victims.
However, a
system
announcing that
the call was
coming from the
prison curbed
the problem.
But, cell
phones, easy to
smuggle into the
prison, easy to
hide and
virtually
untraceable, are
the tools of the
modern criminal.
Reports say that
prisoners make
calls to their
intended
victims,
threatening to
harm them or
their families
unless a payment
is made. The
last complaint
was filed by a
Upala man who
said he was
asked to deposit
us$3.000 in a
Banco Popular
account to avoid
harm to him and
his family.
In the case of
the Upala
farmer, he has
been a victim of
attacks in the
past, including
one attempt
where an AK-47
used by
criminals.
Authorities say
they have
identified the
two prisoners in
the La Reforma
and a woman, a
sister of one of
the prisoners on
the outside that
is the bank
account holder.
In other cases,
callers say they
have been hired
as "hit man",
but for a cash
payment to an
accomplice or
bank account,
the "hit" will
be called off.
Several years
ago, the prison
installed call
blockers. But,
these call
blockers, if and
when they are
working, only
block TDMA
signals. Prison
officials have
to install
blockers for GSM
and 3G signals.
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