Ecuador Installs Cameras on Border With Colombia to Monitor Illegal Activities

Elcomercio.com reported the border between Ecuador and Colombia has 62 clandestine passages that are used for the traffic of drugs, military ammunition, medicines, cement, firearms, chemicals, goods and smuggling of fuel and gas tanks. Thus the military have determined in their research. In the villages of El Carmelo, Chicał, Maldonado and Tufiño, in Carchi, an apparent atmosphere of tranquility is experienced. But, the people of those places know that there move the contraband products on donkeys or horses. This system is known as the Ant, according to the head of the Judicial Police in Carchi, Colonel Vladimir Báez. To these problems, the system integrated ECU 911 13 video cameras to be installed in considered sensitive points of the line of the border with Colombia. The measure aims to monitor these areas to prevent trafficking of illegal substances and other illegal. César Navas, director of the 911 ECU, confirmed other 137 devices will be installed in six cantons of Carchi. In total will be 150. The first tests will begin next week with the activation of 50 devices. This week, an operational technical committee comprising experts from the armed forces, and experts from ECU 911 through 13 border points to check the flow of electricity and fiber optic. Marlon López, Manager of the ECU 911 Tulcan, explained that 13 border points are considered key because in the majority of these routes for the movement of railcars.

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In the remaining, on the other hand, there are craft bridges or rivers which are people or horses moving contraband products. An inhabitant of Tufino said that a video camera already operates in this population, a few meters from the binational bridge which communicates with chilies (Colombia), for several months. The official said that five aircraft were previously at the border.One is located in Tufino, another in Urbina and three on the Rumichaca bridge. These were handled from the ECU 911 Samborondón (Guayas) two years ago. It adds that teams will be integrated then ECU 911 of Tulcan to work with 19 camcorders. One of the problems causing greatest concern in the border is the cylinders of gas smuggling.In fact, the police have seized 652 tanks since January of last year until June of 2014. In addition, from Colombia enter irregularly a diversity of merchandise: household appliances, computer equipment, cellular, potatoes, medicines… These products are often confiscated by the customs of the Ecuador national service in collaboration with the armed forces. Solar panels ​ One of the objectives of the project of Chambers is to support controls on border. It is a policy to strengthen security. In the North, the cameras will operate with centers of Esmeraldas, Lago Agrio and Tulcan Ibarra. “Not all the 62 steps will be observed, but vehicular access to those places, where special equipment will be installed”, says César Navas. In the North-West of the Carchi be implemented solar power, such as the Tobar Donoso parish, in which there is no electricity and is one of the places that is accessible by air or by river from Colombian territory. René Noguera, President of the El Carmelo parish Board believes that the proposal will intensify surveillance and ensure the peaceful coexistence of the inhabitants of the border. It clarifies that the past 18 months have not recorded criminal acts in this border town. In 2011, there reported the alleged forced recruitment of teens by the Colombian guerrillas of the FARC. According to inhabitants of the Northwest of Carchi, requesting the reservation of their names, the way Chicał – El Carmen is also used by so-called foreign militia, who are admitted to the country, but without uniforms, or firearms. On 23 January last, a military operation of routine, at km 4 via Chicał – El Carmen – Gualchan, in the Northwest of Tulcan, for example, allowed the seizure of parts which are used for the manufacture of weapons and military ammunition. The materials were hidden under sacks of potatoes, in a truck. On that occasion, two people were arrested. The 31 Andes infantry brigade is in charge of operations at that site. For this group, Colonel Patricio Trujillo, Commander new cameras will help guard the border areas that do not have fixed military posts or police. “The armed forces carried out sporadic patrols or military checkpoints in locations which are inaccessible, since the border is porous and difficult to maintain coverage during 24 hours a day,” says the officer. In 2013, the steps of Carchi and El Carmelo rivers were destroyed, but immediately they were rehabilitated by the inhabitants of this area. “Not we met the objective, since Colombia did not intervene those routes in its territory. The objective was to prevent the transit of vehicles for those places”, said Trujillo. The vehicles control The national agency of transit (ANT) has a special module that will follow up on highways and roads of the towns. Yadira well, the Carchi ANT, indicated that it will activate the system of cameras that have been placed in taxis, urban and inter-provincial buses and tractor-trailers. Taxi drivers see as positive the initiative, because they do not want to continue the assault on their units. For José Gordón, police commander of Carchi, centralize information and complaints in one place will energize the response of relief agencies and control capacity. In Tulcan are installed cameras in the Bus Terminal, the center of Social rehabilitation and other sectors of the city considered conflicting. The cost of the implementation of the equipment in the border area of the Carchi amounts to USD 9.8 million. This includes cameras, radars GPS satellite, optical fiber, among other electronics to install on the border. Read Article