In Pereira, the Attorney General Francisco Barbosa Delgado, revealed the results of this investigative and judicial action that made it possible to impact three criminal structures involved in drug trafficking, murders, kidnapping and other crimes.
The differential investigative strategies in the regions, defined by the Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, allowed in Risaralda to plan a joint action against several of the main criminal sources that affect public safety.
In two days, the Office of the Attorney General, through the Criminal Investigative Corps (Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación CTI) in a joint work with the National Police and the Gaula- Army arrested 47 people identified as alleged members of three criminal organizations linked to various illegal activities such as the sale and drugs commercialization, murders, kidnapping, arms trafficking, among others.
During the inter-institutional offensive, more than 40 search warrants were carried out in different municipalities of Risaralda, Quindío, Amazonas, Vaupés, and Guainía, in which important evidence such as weapons, drugs and documents was seized.
Dismantled:
‘Vulcano’
This criminal structure associated with the criminal group La Cordillera, would be involved in local drug trafficking in Pereira, La Celia, Balboa and Santuario; as well as in municipalities of neighboring Departments such as Caldas, Quindío and Antioquia. Thirty-four (34) of its alleged members were arrested in 36 legal proceedings in which several amounts of marijuana, cocaine and 4 firearms were seized.
Thirty (30) points to distribute drugs were dismantled to this organization. Points that besides offering retail distribution in public places, they generated an illicit monthly income of up to COP 600 million.
Among the arrested people there are 9 people who would be hitmen. Among them, alias Tarico, who would be linked to various crimes, forced disappearances, and arms trafficking. With this result, the clarification of 8 homicides that took place in Risaralda, Caldas, and Valle del Cauca was achieved.
The 34 arrested people belonging to ‘Vulcano’ were brought before supervisory judges. The Office of the Attorney General charged them, according to their level of participation, with trafficking, manufacture, or possession of drugs, and other related crimes such as: murder, aggravated criminal conspiracy, forced disappearance; and manufacture, trafficking and possession of firearms, ammunition and accessories.
‘Distrito’
This organization would be integrated by National Police officers. Nine (9) officers in active duty and one retired were arrested in proceedings carried out in Risaralda, Quindío, Amazonas, Vaupés and Guainía (their places of work).
The Office of the Attorney general has evidence that they allegedly participated in an irregular proceeding in which they had entered a house in Pereira arguing that they were looking for money that had been stolen. However, the officers allegedly attacked the owner and took him out of the property and held him for a few hours in a building. Later, the victim was transferred to a police station where a lawyer arrived and interceded on his behalf for his release.
For these facts, the Office of the Attorney General charged the arrested people with the crimes of kidnapping and torture.
‘Los Motoristas’
Three (3) alleged members of this criminal network involved in drug trafficking in Apía (Risaralda) through home delivery were arrested. These people have already been prosecuted and custodial measures were issued against them (2 sent to jail and 1 house arrest).
The Office of the Attorney General makes this information public for reasons of general interest.
The Office of the Attorney General produces results.
The information contained in this press release corresponds to the narration of the objective news provided by the officials in charge of carrying out the criminal investigations within the Office of the Attorney General. By the time this communication is disclosed, the legal status of the people mentioned is still pending to be resolved by the competent judicial authority, always under the presumption of innocence contemplated by Article 29 of the Political Constitution and Article 7 of Law 906 of 2004.