Five suspects detained by the Peruvian National Police and the Ministry of Defense in connection with a kidnapping and quadruple murder in Trujillo were released after initial hours of detention at the División de Investigación Criminal (DIVINCRI). ^[1] The Peruvian National Police (PNP) confirmed on September 1, 2026, that the license plate EPF-176 displayed on the truck used in the kidnapping of Jenss Marty Lara Tantaquilla and the murder of his four companions in Trujillo was cloned. ^[2] Defense Minister Rafael Belaunde announced the release of Jenss Marty Lara Tantaquilla, who was linked to the purchase and sale of minerals, noting that the suspect only presented minor scratches. ^[3] General Óscar Arriola confirmed that the release of the suspects was a liberation and not a rescue operation resulting from police intervention. ^[4] Residents and officials in Trujillo questioned the arrests, stating that the physical build of the five suspects differs from the individuals seen in surveillance video of the kidnapping. ^[5] Investigations identified the original license plate BNG-906, which corresponds to a private Toyota Hilux truck, as the actual identification of the vehicle used in the crime. ^[6] The legitimate police vehicle with the original license plate EPF-176 is a patrol car assigned to the San Gabán-Juliaca department of the Road Security Protection Department in Puno, where it has been inoperable since August 28, 2025. ^[7] The PNP stated that the vehicle investigated is not a unit of the Ministry of the Interior or the Peruvian National Police, as its physical and registration characteristics do not match official vehicles. ^[8]