"appear to be doing something about a very public problem"
Well, that's what authoritarian governments do. They also use raids to project their power and get loyalty from the police in return for ignoring all the corruption and extortion.
Sounds more like corruption than authoritarianism - questionable criminal charges that go away for the right price. (Authoritarianism would be questionable prosecutions, rigidly enforced).
It's more like corruption-fueled authoritarianism: police is allowed to extort as long, as they extort only those companies that government wants to harm, judges are corrupt and afraid of the government, but as long as they side with the government nobody is looking for corruption. So there are both elements, rigidly enforced questionable prosecutions and questionable criminal charges that go away for the right price. And I'm pretty sure they always go hand in hand.
Well, that's what authoritarian governments do. They also use raids to project their power and get loyalty from the police in return for ignoring all the corruption and extortion.