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Details Emerge Of Canadian Fugitive Wanted By Interpol For Extensive Fraud Charges
A Canadian man murdered in Playa del Carmen this week has been revealed as a wanted fugitive for multiple years. The man and his apparent girlfriend were found dead in their popular beachside resort town condo.
Initial reports stated the two Canadians were found with their throats slit at the Oasis 12 condo in Playa del Carmen, where a security guard was also attacked. The guard survived but was injured in the ordeal.
New information is emerging surrounding the background of the two deceased.
The man, now identified as Raphaël Huppé, aged 44, is A Canadian citizen who has been evading arrest for multiple counts of fraud and extortion dating back to 2008. Various sources have suggested he has been a wanted fugitive since around 2016, when he failed to appear at a court hearing regarding the illegal sale of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of securities.
Sources differ on the exact timeline of his offenses, but Mexican authorities have confirmed he is a wanted man and appears on Interpol’s wanted list. According to several Canadian outlets, Huppe has at least one arrest warrant in Montreal after fifteen criminal charges were filed against him in 2015. Another fraud case was leveled against him in the same year. The 2016 case appears to be the last in a long line of offenses before he fled the country. It is unclear if he has been in Mexico since then.
Documents found at the scene and sophisticated computer equipment suggest that Huppe had multiple identities and may have been involved in some high-level cryptocurrency scams. Although the scam suggestions are theories at this point, the various identities have been confirmed by Mexican authorities. One such identity has been named Erick McCarthy.
Multiple sources have suggested the double murder was retaliation for debts relating to drugs or firearms, but once again, these claims appear to be conjecture. Huppe’s history as a criminal and the presence of multiple identities does suggest he was still involved in some kind of illegal activity. Several have commented on the deliberate nature of the killings as evidence of a premeditated assassination. Unconfirmed police reports suggest there were threats left at the condominium.
The crypto scam theory holds merit in the current climate, as the digital currency market has seen a drastic downturn in the past few months, financially crippling thousands of people who invested. Once again, this is circumstantial speculation.
The woman, also Canadian, has been identified as Fannie Lorrain. The two appeared to have been in a relationship, but it is unclear if Lorrain had any knowledge of Huppe’s criminal background. There is no suggestion that she was involved in any illegal activities, and no extra identities were found relating to her.
Based on the deceased’s Instagram, Lorrain had been in Quintana Roo since 2020. Pictures on her Facebook and Twitter page have images in Cancun going back to 2013. Neither of the profiles mentions or references Huppe, and neither of his known identities appears in her friend list.
The events mark the second group of Canadians killed in Quintana Roo this year. In January, two Canadian criminals were assassinated at the Xcaret Hotel. The shocking daylight murders drew international attention to the region’s growing violence and prompted travel advisories from the US and Canada. The men involved were high-level fugitives, wanted for their association with a Canadian-Vietnamese crime family known for smuggling drugs and weapons. Several men have been arrested in conjunction with the killings.
Despite the violence, tourists do remain safe in Quintana Roo. Those killed have generally been directly involved with organized crime or drugs, and this tragic event appears no different. Collateral damage remains the biggest problem for tourists, with Miss Lorrain being a possible victim in this case.
Tourists should avoid seeking out drugs or participating in any illegal activities. This should be a given for any visitor, but even buying a drug that may be legal in their home state could place a tourist in danger.
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