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Former Transit Worker Arrested in Salta for Impersonating Inspector to Extort Drivers

A citizen video of a street confrontation prompted police action after a couple reported invented fines with cash demands.

Overview

  • Police detained the suspect on Sunday at Buenos Aires and Urquiza in central Salta after intervening in a public dispute captured on video.
  • Local outlets report he had been dismissed from the municipal Transit area for corruption but kept an official uniform he used to stage repeated weekend checks.
  • According to testimonies, he targeted mainly motorcyclists and threatened fines of up to $450,000 while proposing a cash "arrangement" of about $100,000.
  • In the incident that exposed the scheme, a couple on a motorcycle paid roughly $30,000 and later recovered only $19,000 after officers stepped in.
  • The complainants said they were initially mistreated at the police station until another officer identified the man as an ex-inspector with serious prior records, and he remains at the disposal of the Justice system.