Corrupción, no puede pasar

So I hopped over the border to Bolivia for a couple of days, in part because I wanted to see La Isla del Sol, partly to meet up with a friend, and partly to get an new 90 day Peruvian stamp in my Passport without paying for it in Lima.

When I crossed from Peru to Bolivia on Thursday, the Peruvian police were searching selected persons for drugs, and I was one of the selected. They searched my day bag, my pockets and my money belt, everything I was carrying, but not my larger bag which was on the bus. At the time I hadn't really thought anything of it.

But today, when I got on the bus to return to Peru, I realised that 3 x 100 soles notes in my money belt were blatant fakes (300 soles = ₤50). I had earlier briefly checked that everything that should be was in the money belt, but had not actually taken the notes out to look at them. It was not possible that such notes had come out of the cash machine where I had originally got the notes. I also felt it very unlikely that a switch had taken place when I used the safe at the hotel, for three reasons: a) I trusted the lady at the hotel b) it was all sellotaped up c) It seemed unlikely that someone in Bolivia would have fake sole notes.

So it seemed to me that the most likely answer was that the two cops who had searched my money belt had deftly switched the real notes for couldn't watch them both closely at the same time.

So with the help of the el cobrador (the bus conductor, the same one as the first time I had crossed) I warned my fellow border crossers to be vigilant, and when we got to the border he took me police border office. I explained the situation, and the time I had crossed. I didn't particularly want to start making accusations at the police lest it get me into more trouble, and I wasn't hoping to get my money back, but I just wanted them to know there was a potential problem so they could try and crack down on it.

All the police, particularly the chief were very helpful, friendly, concerned, and indignant for me that such a thing should have happened. Corrupción, no puede pasar. They very concerned that I shouldn't have a bad impression of Peru.

We knew the time I had crossed and the office that had searched me, but there was no record of which officers were working it. In private, the chief told me not to be afraid and to help him by pointing out the culprits. All 8 officers who worked the posted were brought in, but there was no way I could remember which were the ones who had searched me. I wasn't going to point the finger without being sure because I could see they were going to get into trouble - perhaps even physically beaten up. I kept repeating that I couldn't remember, but I think they thought it was because I was afraid.

There was discussion of all the officers behind closed doors, but I don't think they got anywhere in finding out who was behid it. In the the end, the police chief gave me 300 soles from his own money, and we parted on very friendly terms. At a guess this might be half a weeks wages for him. I certainly didn't leave the experience with a bad impression of the Peruvian police.

I suppose the fact that he gave me the money on just my word shows that he believed there was truth in my story. I just hope that it was at the police post that the switch happened, and that my logic wasn't wrong - because otherwise I have thrown a cat among the wrong pigeons.

FC