Pocho Pinto was preliminarily detained for the capture of Peruvians to Russia with false job promises. The 54-year-old man is being investigated for the alleged commission of the crime of aggravated human trafficking for the purposes of labor exploitation, to the detriment of the deceased Julio Salazar and three other Peruvian citizens.
The measure was executed in coordination with the Directorate against Human Trafficking and Illicit Migrant Smuggling (DIRITPTIM) of the National Police of Peru and also includes the search of two properties located in the district of Comas, where various elements were seized that will be incorporated into the investigations.
The Prosecutor’s Office achieved the preliminary arrest of an investigator for alleged recruitment and transportation of Peruvians to Russia. Photo: Public Ministry
According to the fiscal hypothesis, Pinto would have captured, coordinated and facilitated the transfer of Julio Salazar and three other people to Russia in March 2026, under the promise that they would work as security and guard personnel at a military base.
The Prosecutor’s Office maintains that the person under investigation would have offered an approximate remuneration of US$2,300 monthlya bonus of US$20,000 upon completion of one year of service and the possibility of obtaining Russian nationality.
Likewise, as part of the alleged recruitment, he would have assured citizens that they would not be sent to a war zone or the front line of combat. The planned route for the trip was Lima-Paris-Istanbul-Moscow-Ufa.
However, according to the investigations, Salazar was later transferred to military facilities, where he received training and was reportedly forced to sign a contract written in Russian that he did not understand. The Prosecutor’s Office maintains that finally He was taken to the front line of the combat front, where he died in April 2026.in the context of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
During the operation carried out in the two properties linked to the person under investigation, the authorities seized cell phones, USB devices, a firearm, credit cards and cash in soles and dollarsin addition to other species considered of interest for the clarification of the facts.
The intervention was carried out by specialized provincial deputy prosecutors and had the support of DIRITPTIM. The non-governmental organization also participated Aerial Recoveryas reported by the Public Ministry.
The preliminary detention will allow urgent proceedings to be carried out aimed at establishing the circumstances under which the alleged capture and transfer of the Peruvian citizens took place, as well as determining the eventual criminal responsibility of the person under investigation.
The Prosecutor’s Office achieved the preliminary arrest of an investigator for alleged recruitment and transportation of Peruvians to Russia. Photo: Public Ministry
The case is part of a broader investigation into the alleged recruitment of Peruvian citizens to travel to Russia.
In September, the Public Ministry reported that it maintained 22 files related to more than 300 Peruvians allegedly recruited by Russiawhile the Foreign Ministry had reported at least 459 Peruvians who traveled to that country and indicated that 11 had died and 114 remained missing.
