The authorities in Latin America they arrested more than 14,000 people and seized more than 8,000 illegal weapons in the “largest operation” of its kind coordinated by Interpol, the international organization for police cooperation announced on Tuesday.
The named operation “Trigger IX” It took place between March 12 and April 2, thanks to the cooperation between 15 countries, and also allowed the seizure of 300,000 cartridges and 203 tons of cocaine, the organization based in Lyon (eastern France) specifies in a statement.
“The fact that a targeted operation against illicit firearms has led to such massive drug seizures is further proof (…) that these crimes are related“, Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said.
$5.7 billion in drugs
The value of the seized drug, which in addition to cocaine includes other narcotic products, rises to 5,700 million dollars. Authorities also seized 372 tons of drug precursors.
The operation led to the “decommissioning” of 20 organized crime groupsincluding the arrest of members of Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital, the Mara Salvatrucha gang and the Balkan cartel, “all involved in firearms trafficking”, according to the organization.
According to the overall data in the release, 14,260 people were arrested, 8,263 weapons and 305,000 cartridges seized. Uruguay has seized 100,000 pieces of ammunitionsmuggling “two European citizens”, in the largest kidnapping of its kind in the country.
The authorities of Brazil and Paraguay They also closed several firearms outlets for irregular and unlicensed operations.
other crimes
Police cooperation has made it possible to discover other crimes such as corruption, fraud, trafficking in human beings, environmental crimes and terrorist activities, Interpol details.
Eleven people have been released in Paraguay of human trafficking and Colombia, in collaboration with Venezuela, arrested a Venezuelan wanted by Interpol for terrorism and arms trafficking.
Countries participating in Trigger IX were Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
AFP extension
ap
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.