Ecuador: Police dismantle ring of kidnappers, extortionists operating in several provinces

KIDNAPPERS OPERATING IN Sucumbíos , Pichincha and Los Rios

elcomercio.com/Andrés García Editor reported the dawn of this Thursday, April 6, the National Police executed the operation Libertad III , after which it captured the alleged members of an alleged criminal band called ‘ Comuneros de Liberación Nacional ‘. Diego Fuentes, Minister of the Interior Subrogant, said that this organization operated in the provinces of Sucumbíos , Pichincha and especially in Los Rios , where they allegedly frightened shop owners through extortion, kidnapping and detonation of explosive devices. Through intimidation, said Fuentes, the criminal organization tried to take over as a subversive group to commit illegal acts. After receiving several complaints , the Anti-Kidnapping and Extortion Unit (Unase) began a six-month investigation to capture the suspects . The operation was executed the dawn of this Thursday, April 6, through 19 raids : ten in Sucumbíos , five in Pichincha and three in Los Ríos. As a result, 18 citizens were arrested. 15 of them are of Ecuadorian nationality, while the remaining three are from the neighboring country of Colombia . During the operation seized weapons , ammunition , cash, uniforms , communication equipment and leaflets that according to the Unase were distributed in the provinces where allegedly operated to intimidate the public, claiming to be a subversive organization. In the operation was also released an Ecuadorian citizen who would have been kidnapped by this alleged organization on December 31, 2016. The raids involved 281 members of the National Police , Unase, Intervention and Rescue Group , Aeropolicial , Criminalistics and Prosecutor . According to the Unase, the disarticulated organization allegedly had some links with other subversive cells operating in Colombia, since during the intelligence work it was evidenced that they stored the weapons with which they committed their crimes on the other side of the border . The National Police ruled that the alleged criminal band dismantled planned subversive acts in the province of the country. Read Article

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