395 trained dogs will track narco-loads

Ecuadornews:

The police control will grow in border crossings and in the roads where the 98 tons of illicit substances confiscated in 2017 were transported. Prevent large drug shipments from reaching the country’s ports and airports, for their subsequent export to the major markets of the country consumption, is the main objective of the National Anti-Narcotics Directorate (DNA) of the Police in 2018. 

General Ramiro Mantilla, commander-in-chief of the Police, informed that for this purpose they will implement a plan to reinforce controls at border crossings and highways from the country. Mantilla highlights the decrease in the tons of drugs confiscated in 2017. “In 2016, 110 tons of drugs were seized in Ecuador and last year 98, but there were 3,640 anti-drug operations that resulted in the arrests of 11,826 suspects.”

Among the special units of the Police that will increase their presence in the border crossings are the Fight against Organized Crime (ULCO), the Anti-Narcotics Mobile Special Group (GEMA), the Regional Center for Canine Training (CRAC), the Judicial Police.

“But the idea is that the 48,000 police officers we have are working to rid the country of drug trafficking, plus the 5,000 that we have in training. In other words, by 2020 we will have 53,000 police officers, “says Mantilla. In the fight against drugs directly there are 1,000 policemen who are in investigative tasks.

He also revealed that the zonal police commandos will intervene in sectors where they believe that criminal problems are overflowing. Currently, there are 52 sectors fully intervened at the national level.

General Pablo Aguirre said that the Police is in the process of acquiring 75 dogs that detect illicit substances, which are added to the 320 that already exist in the CRAC, for this type of work. The head of the CRAC in Guayas, Richard Rueda, mentioned that in 2017, in the four ports of Guayaquil, 39 operations were carried out in which 13 tons, 467 kilos 729 grams of alkaloids were seized. (I)

Source: http://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/judicial/12/395-perros-entrenados-rastrearan-narcocargas