Canadian citizen Jesse Alexander Bernard Crilly is the protagonist of an event that stunned the inhabitants of Cali. The investigation carried out by the authorities established that the foreigner would have participated in the kidnapping of two engineers of the same nationality, during events that occurred on November 24, 2023.

According to information provided by the prosecution, The accused allegedly directed the kidnapping of two fellow citizens through an application on social networks which was used by two womenwho allegedly summoned the victims to commercial establishments to gain their trust, then kidnapped them from a hotel located west of the capital of Valle del Cauca.

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On the spot, The women tied their hands and feet, drugged them, then took away their credit cards., with these they carried out commercial transactions, purchases and allegedly withdrew large sums of money from electronic ATMs. The theft is said to have reached $80 million.

The day after the crime, the victims were released by the authorities, and after carrying out a rigorous investigation, the servers of the Technical Investigation Corps (CTI) and the Gaula Miliar, as well as Migration Colombia and the National Police, captured with judicial order against Bernard Crilly, on February 9, in a police station in Capurganá, Antioquia.

And Wednesday February 21 A specialized prosecutor, attached to the Military Gaula of the Cali section, charged the captured person with the crimes of extorted kidnapping and qualified and aggravated theft.. Charges that the foreigner did not accept, even if, by decision of the judge, the person concerned must comply with security measures in a prison.

For the same events, the Prosecutor's Office has prosecuted four other people, three of them are in prison and one linked to the trial is at large.

In this specific case, the authorities had already captured three other people, during a joint operation between the troops of the Gaula Militar Valle, the Attorney General's Office, the Gaula Militar Antioquia and the National Police.

Criminals identified as Yarith Nathalid Grueso Madrid, alias Nicol; Guillermo Rivera Chávez, alias Tarzán, and Jorge Alfonso Castro Ríos, alias Unaywere protected by a security measure by a criminal judge in Cali on January 29, 2024. Concerning the fourth person captured, identified as Nathali Posso Celi, alias Nati, was released, although she remains linked to the investigation.

The prosecution charged the four criminals as alleged co-perpetrators of the crimes of kidnapping with extortion and qualified and aggravated robbery.

The commander of the Third Brigade, Brigadier General Juan Oduber Rendón Pérez, confirmed that the way the common crime group operated was based on transferring victims to residences located in the center and north of Cali to steal their property.

“Where they took their victims to rob them of their belongings and steal money from their bank accounts and credit cards. (…) they imposed financial demands on their closest friends and family in exchange for their release.”

Initially, it was the currently captured Canadian citizen who reported the kidnapping, claiming that he had been sent text messages demanding money as payment for the foreigners' freedom and thus dissociating himself from his status as a suspect .

In these cases, it is recommended to contact the national toll-free number 165, where you can present your case to the authorities, who will take the necessary measures. Among the information to take into account, it is important that during the call: specify the time, location and description of the events.

Another alternative is to contact the national line 01 8000 91 1129, where professional staff guarantee complete confidentiality.

In addition, the Prosecutor's Office receives complaints in different service centers, such as complaint reception rooms (they can be located in an independent location or within the URIs); Immediate Reaction Units or Houses of Justice.

And the National Police and the FF. MM., have the Unified Action Groups for Personal Freedom, Gaula (Anti-kidnapping and Anti-extortion), which are qualified to carry out rescue operations for kidnapped people and dismantle criminal gangs.