Ricardo Riquelme Vega
Ricardo Riquelme Vega, also known as El Rico. is a Chilean criminal, who had been convicted of ordering an assassination and laundering illicit drug money.[1][2]
Criminal career[edit]
His first arrest for cocaine trafficking was in Germany in 1999.[1]
He is believed to be a right hand man of Naoufal Fassih and a senior member of the gang responsible for the murder and beheading of Nabil Amzieb.[1]
He was arrested in a hotel in Santiago, Chile in October 2017.[1]
On 31 May 2021 he was convicted of operating an assassination ring and laundering illicit drug money.[2] The trial was held in a fortified court known as De Bunker near Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.[2] The court heard that he was in contact with Ridouan Taghi about organising murders.[2] Judges were also told his phone had a video featuring both Daniel Kinahan and Raffaele Imperiale.[2] It was alleged that Vega, Kinahan, Imperiale and Naoufal Fassih were involved in an illicit drugs cartel that dominated the market in Europe.[2]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Tallant, Nicola (6 November 2017). "Cartel's main coke man 'El Rico' busted". The Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Fetherstonhaugh, Neil (2 June 2021). "Daniel Kinahan's 'super cartel' ally El Rico is jailed for 11 years for running gangland assassination ring". Sunday World. Retrieved 21 June 2021.