The National Police of Peru denied an official patrol vehicle was involved in a Trujillo kidnapping and four homicides, according to an official statement released on September 1, 2026. The law enforcement agency stated that a pickup truck captured in footage during the crimes was privately owned and had been fitted with a cloned police license plate.
In Official Statement No. 19-2026, the police force clarified that neither its personnel nor any mobile unit of the Ministry of the Interior participated in the abduction of a local businessman or the killings of the four victims in the region of La Libertad.
Technical verifications conducted by investigators established that the pickup truck associated with the crime fraudulently displayed police license plate EPF-176. Physical features and official registry records for the vehicle under investigation failed to match any legitimate mobile unit belonging to the police or the interior ministry.
Authorities located and inspected the actual patrol car lawfully assigned plate EPF-176. That vehicle belongs to the Highway Security and Protection Department of San Gaban-Juliaca in southern Peru and remains under institutional custody. Police confirmed the legitimate patrol car has been out of service since August 28, 2025, and still retains all of its original identification markings.
Vehicle Registration and Identity Findings
Forensic checks led investigators to trace another license plate, BNG-906, which public registry records confirm belongs to a privately owned Toyota Hilux pickup truck. Police believe BNG-906 is the actual registration number of the vehicle filmed during the crimes, and the finding has been added to ongoing technical and scientific evaluations.
The national police force cautioned that the use of tactical clothing, badges, or police-style equipment by suspects does not indicate any link to the institution. Officials warned that criminal groups frequently simulate legitimate police operations as a tactic to surprise and overpower victims.
Law Enforcement Context and Investigations
The National Police of Peru is the country's primary law enforcement organization, operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior to maintain public order across all 25 regions of Peru. Trujillo, located on the northern coast, is the regional capital of La Libertad and one of the nation's largest urban centers. High-performance pickup trucks like the Toyota Hilux are commonly used across South America for both commercial transport and official police work, making them frequent targets for plate cloning by criminal networks.
Police officials reiterated that current investigations show no evidence implicating police officers or official fleet vehicles in the Trujillo crimes. Law enforcement agencies are continuing active operations to identify, locate, and arrest all perpetrators involved in the kidnapping and homicides, while working to trace the origin of all equipment and assets used during the attack.
