Mauricio Arriaza were named leader of police in 2019 [Getty Images]The top of El Salvador’s police drive is amongst 9 individuals who died when the army helicopter they had been travelling in crashed within the Central American country on Sunday night native time.Police Director-Common Mauricio Arriaza used to be escorting a suspect in a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme to the capital, San Salvador, when the helicopter got here down in a while after take-off.The suspect, fugitive former financial institution director Manuel Coto, were accused of involvement within the embezzlement of $35m (£27m) from a credit score union in El Salvador.Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele wrote on X that he didn’t suppose the crash will have to be regarded as an twist of fate and ordered an investigation.President Bukele mentioned flags could be flown at half-mast for 3 days in honour of Mr Arriaza.The president had named him as leader of police in 2019 and he used to be key to Mr Bukele’s crackdown on El Salvador’s notorious gangs.Beneath Mr Bukele, the rustic’s surprising murder price dropped, however human rights teams say safety has come at a price, with some suspects arbitrarily detained and denied get entry to to honest trials.President Bukele praised the past due police leader as “a basic a part of bringing peace and safety to our humans”.Mr Bukele mentioned he would request global assist to inspect the reasons of the crash.El Salvador’s Armed Forces mentioned the UH-1H helicopter got here down close to Pasaquina, some 10km (six miles) from the border with Honduras.The helicopter used to be sporting Police Leader Arriaza, Mr Coto and a TV information group, in line with native media.All the ones on board died within the crash, the Salvadorean army mentioned.Mr Arriaza had travelled to the Honduran border to take Mr Coto into custody.Honduran officers mentioned police had captured the previous financial institution director as he used to be looking to make his solution to the United States with the assistance of a people-smuggler.Information of his arrest led to wonder and confusion because it used to be no longer widely recognized that he were at the run.If truth be told, the Salvadorean government had introduced again in July that Mr Coto were detained in Panama.It’s not transparent how he got here to be in Honduras.Mr Coto used to be one among 32 humans accused of embezzlement and money-laundering over the disappearance of $35m from the coffers of the COSAVI credit score union.El Salvador’s attorney-general accused the crowd of syphoning off cash from humans’s financial savings and the usage of it to shop for luxurious apartments and automobiles, amongst different pieces.In overall, 15 humans were detained in reference to the case. Amongst them are Mr Coto’s folks.
