New York City Police Arrest Migrants Connected to String of Cellphone Robberies

In a recent development, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has apprehended several migrants believed to be involved in a series of citywide cellphone thefts. This comes as the NYPD intensifies efforts to combat rising crime rates in the city.

According to the authorities, the NYPD is now on the lookout for seven additional migrants who are associated with a 14-member gang responsible for these robberies.

Early Monday morning, the NYPD conducted a raid on a suspected safe house in the Bronx, resulting in the arrest of several suspects who are migrants from Venezuela.

NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban emphasized that the actions of these individuals should not be taken as representative of the larger migrant population seeking a better life in New York. He stated, “In recent months, a wave of migrant crime has washed over our city, but by no means are the individuals committing these crimes representing the vast number of people coming to New York to build a better life.”

The NYPD has linked a total of 62 cellphone thefts, targeting women both on the streets and in the subway system, to a mastermind operating from his Bronx apartment. The stolen phones have been used to clear hundreds of thousands of dollars from the victims’ bank accounts.

According to the police, Victor Parra, who is still at large, is the alleged leader of the gang and has been running a sophisticated criminal enterprise primarily comprised of migrants residing in the city. Parra entered the country from Venezuela last year and was previously charged with grand larceny.

Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny revealed that the gang uses social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp, to organize and coordinate their thefts. Parra would send out messages announcing his need for stolen phones, and the gang members would carry out the robberies accordingly.

A shocking video released by the NYPD captured the violent mugging of a 52-year-old woman in Brooklyn. The thieves forcefully dragged her on a scooter, stealing her bag, phone, credit cards, keys, glasses, cash, and identification.

The suspects would typically target women walking alone on the sidewalk, riding up behind them on scooters, and snatching their phones or purses before making a swift getaway. The scooter operator would earn $100, while the phone snatcher could make anywhere from $300 to $600 per theft.

The stolen phones would then be taken to Parra’s apartment, where a “tech guy” within the gang would hack into the devices, gaining access to the victims’ financial and banking apps for fraudulent purchases in the U.S. or Central America. The phones were subsequently sent to Colombia, where they were wiped clean.

During the search of Parra’s home on Monday, the police recovered 22 stolen phones and various victims’ identification.

As of now, five individuals have been taken into custody. Cleyber Andrade, 20, is facing.

– Migrants from Venezuela arrested in connection with citywide cellphone thefts
– Migrants from Venezuela arrested in connection with cellphone robberies in city.