The Costa Rican Judicial Police (O.I.J.) has arrested a Costa Rican Attorney, a Colombian citizen and a Costa Rica which are part of a property theft gang that was operating in the area of Ciudad Quesada (San Carlos) and la Fortuna in the province of Alajuela. According to the local newspaper La Nacion the gang was arrested on August 14th, 2013 in San Carlos as the prime suspects in fraudulently stealing a 13,000 m2 (3.9 acre) parcel of land valued at US$ 1 million. The property was located in a prime residential area of Ciudad Quesada. The victim filed a complaint somtime back when she discovered that the property was no longer in her name and instead had been transferred to a third party who in turn mortgaged the property to yet another person. The police is after an additional two suspects that it deems are part of the property theft gang as well.
This particular property theft gang is also suspect in other property thefts in the San Carlos – La Fortuna area which the police is also investigating.
Property theft is a serious problem in Costa Rica because of the extended time it takes for the judicial system to revert the damage caused. Unfortuneatley for the victim the arrest is just the beginning of a very long ordeal that can take years for her to recover title to her property.
