Peruvian gang boss arrested after 'ordering' rape and murder of three women broadcast on Instagram Live

"Drug lord" Tony Janzen Valverde Victoriano was caught by police while on the run from Argentina, where he is accused of orchestrating the killing of 15-year-old Lara Gutierrez and her two cousins Brenda del Castillo, 20, and Morena Verdi, 21.

The 20-year-old drug kingpin was caught by officers while hiding in a lorry in his home country after fleeing Argentina.

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His right-hand man, a 28-year-old Argentinian named Matías Ozorio, was also detained in a separate police operation.

Police allege Valverde Victoriano ordered the three women to be killed after they stole four kilos of cocaine from his international drugs trafficking gang.

They were tricked into going to a "horror house” on the outskirts of Buenos Aires on Friday, September 19, where the horrific scenes that followed were broadcast live on social media by gang members.

Detectives say around 45 people watched as the thugs carried out the sadistic acts, which included amputating one victim's fingers and suffocating another with a plastic bag.

During the livestream, a voice could be heard saying: "This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me."

The young women's bodies were found at the house they were killed in last Wednesday, five days after they went missing.

Buenos Aires’ security minister Javier Alonso confirmed the vile acts had been filmed and broadcast live online.

He said: "It was for a closed group of around 45 people. That’s the information we have obtained so far from the investigation.

"It is relevant to the motive for the murders, which is that the leader of the gang is saying: ‘This is what happens to you if you steal drugs from me.'"

Detectives believe their torture and murder were ordered by the gang leader as a “deterrent” to others and labelled the crime a "narco act of revenge".

Their corpses had been buried deep underground in the house's garden with blankets, stones and cement piled on top of them.

Police were able to track down Valverde to Puscusana, a beach resort 40 miles from Lima, because he had continued to use his cell phone.

Patricia Bullrich, Argentina’s minister of national security, said: “Not even the chip had been changed. It was a very rudimentary operation.

"The number was the same one a witness had provided to the court. That’s very unprofessional for a drug trafficker."

Ms Bullrich shared a picture of Valverde’s arrest on social media and praised officers for their investigation.

“I want to congratulate Peru’s national police for the great work they’ve done and their co-operation in the capture of the two fugitives for the triple murders.

“Anti-drugs officers held Little J in Pucusana, showing that when working decisively and in coordination, criminals have nowhere to hide.”

After the arrests, a spokesman for Peru’s national police said: “In a swift and simultaneous operation, agents from the anti-drug directorate, in coordination with Interpol Argentina, arrested alias Little J and Matias Agustin Ozorio, both fugitives from Argentina with red notices issued by Interpol and implicated in a triple murder in Buenos Aires.

"The case involves three young women murdered in violent circumstances.

"Tony Valverde, a Peruvian citizen, is believed to be linked to international drug trafficking networks and is identified as the alleged mastermind behind the crime, while authorities coordinate his transfer to Argentine justice.”

Valverde will remain in jail in Peru, pending an extradition request by Argentina.

Ozorio will soon be handed over to Argentine police.

Last week, police revealed the girls were last seen getting into a car voluntarily after they had been falsely invited to a sex party and offered £220 each to attend.

However, they were "falling into a trap" set by the gang, who had "hatched a plan to kill them" at a property 20 miles away from where they lived, Mr Alonso explained.

Teenage Lara Gutierrez's body was found with all five fingers from her left hand cut off, while Brenda Del Castillo was discovered with a fractured skull and her stomach cut open.

After carrying out the murders, the gang set alight and burnt out the vehicle used to transport the victims.

When police raided the "horror house", they found two women cleaning the property and discovered the vehicle's charred remains parked about 100 metres away.

"We are convinced the victims were killed on Friday night between 11pm and midnight... Our investigation to apprehend the intellectual and material authors is very advanced," Mr Alonso added.