• mech@feddit.org
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    1 day ago

    No, they pay off entire police departments in advance, so an investigation that could lead to an arrest doesn’t get started on the first place. When an arrest actually happens, it usually involves the FBI with support from the federal government.
    At that point bribes don’t cut it anymore, you’d have to threaten or kill the DA, judge, witnesses or jury members.

  • If the cops find 5 million dollars in cash and 20 tons of cocaine at the scene, I gurantee only 2 to 3 million of the money and 15 tons of the coke is gonna end up in the evidence locker and the dealer is going to jail.

  • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
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    2 days ago

    It was common in Colombia for cops, judges, and politicians to be given a choice - cooperate, and get paid a LOT of money, or you and your entire family can die. That’s a pretty easy choice.

    The cocaine cartels had so much cash that they spent thousands of dollars a month on rubber bands just to bundle the bills, and they lost hundreds of thousands of dollars a month to rats eating the cash. Giving hefty cash payments in return for protection was better than losing it to rats.

  • IWW4@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    Not a kingpin but cops being owned by drug dealers is very real.

    A buddy of mine, who is no longer a cop, was forced out because of that. My friend arrested a guy for beating up his wife. While looking through the guy’s text messages my friend found evidence that the guy was a drug dealer and was paying off another cop in the department to do all the shit you see in movies. Protect deals, take out competition, steal evidence to sell …the whole nine.

    Why was my friend forced out? Well the chief of the detective unit (or whatever they called it) was inline to take on the #2 job in the state police department so he didn’t want any scandals. So he wanted the whole things covered up. My friend wouldn’t do it.

    • thermal_shock@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Do you know why he was going through a suspects texts? Seems like he was asking for trouble. I won’t even go through texts I have access to.

      • IWW4@lemmy.zip
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        2 days ago

        He dumped the guy’s phone as part of investigating the domestic violence incident.

        He was asking for trouble by doing his job?

          • x00z@lemmy.world
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            24 hours ago

            In my country you wouldn’t even be able to get a warrant for this when it’s about domestic violence.

            Maybe only when there’s actual threats that the victim has removed from their phone, which are likely to still exist on the senders phone. But even that is a stretch and a warrant for the data on social media services is far more likely.

  • cyberslask@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Well, if they take the bribe there is no arrest and you will never hear about it. So: probably yes.

  • jeffw@lemmy.worldM
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    2 days ago

    Probably a trope. Low level cops don’t just stumble on kingpins. It take a large, coordinated investigation. You can’t just pay off the arresting officer, you’d need to pay off dozens at a minimum. And someone would say something. Maybe not to their boss, but at a bar, etc.

    • kutt@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I can imagine paying them off to let you go in that moment. The arresting officer could just tell his boss I’m sorry he escaped. Or you could pay to delay the investigation.

      Then you just flee the US jurisdiction and they never get to see you again!!!

      • jeffw@lemmy.worldM
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        1 day ago

        Meanwhile everyone back at HQ is radioing and asking “did you get him? Why is there 20 minutes of silence?”

        People can think. I can’t imagine how this works when you’re being backed up by dozens of people

        • kutt@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          That’s why you also buy off a high ranking dude so that no one questions the 20mins.

  • trashcroissant@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    2 days ago

    If you’re asking if criminals can/do own cops, yes, it happens. Look at the current state of the US or certain areas in Mexico. I only mention these two countries because I don’t know enough about other countries to make direct statements, but I am certain it happens. But it’s not like at a low level cop, it’s more likely the actual captains or DAs or people in power. Those that have the power to let the criminals go.

    In terms of low level cops taking bribes in general, and again I only mention Mexico from experience, but it is very common. Common enough that there’s a name for it (mordida), and that they’ll threaten regular folks who have maybe minor infractions to get some cash. (acab and all)

  • I Cast Fist@programming.dev
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    2 days ago

    Not exactly as shown in movies and series, it’s usually that the kingpins buy out cops either as protection or informants, so they get a tip before actual raids happen and either GTFO or plan something different, like leaving an idiot with a small amount of drugs to keep some heat off.

    Hell, imprisoned criminals will often sway wardens with their money. It happens quite often in Brazil, with prisoners using cell phones from within their cells.

  • spacebread98@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    Khun sa was at one time responsible for half of the world’s heroine production in the late 20th century. He surrendered to the Myanmar army disbanded his private military and spent the rest of his life in his mansion in Yangon since Myanmar had no extradition treaty with the us.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khun_Sa