Drug trafficking in Santa Fe: six detained, weapons and over $10 million seized
The ASP carried out 29 raids in Santa Fe, Buenos Aires and Salta. Six people detained, drugs, weapons and over ten million pesos seized.
Operation in three provinces yields six arrests for drug trafficking
An investigation into drug trafficking resulted in 29 simultaneous raids in Santa Fe, Buenos Aires and Salta, with six people deprived of their liberty, elonce.com reported. The operations were carried out by the Airport Security Police (ASP) and allowed for the seizure of drugs, weapons, vehicles, cash and electronic devices.
The National Security Ministry confirmed that among those detained are three women and three men. One of them was identified as the alleged organiser and supplier of narcotics for the group, whose main activities were concentrated in the south of Santa Fe, with connections to the north of the country.
Communication tracking from Ezeiza
The case originated from the analysis of conversations by a man already detained for drug trafficking at Ezeiza Prison Complex. In those exchanges he requested large quantities of narcotics from the woman who was later identified as the main suspect. Investigators also established that the operations were carried out in coordination with another detainee.
To reconstruct the network, telephone communications, antenna records and money transfers were analysed, along with surveillance work. Frequent contacts, meetings and movements compatible with the accumulation and distribution of drugs were detected.
Investigators also recorded repeated trips by the main accused to northern Argentina: when returning to Rosario and nearby localities, meetings and vehicle movements between investigated persons were verified. Trips to Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba, coincided temporally with prior transfers to Aguas Blancas, in Salta, which reinforced the hypothesis of a possible connection with the activity being investigated.
Localities raided
The procedures were executed in Rosario, Funes, Roldán, Ibarlucea, Granadero Baigorria, Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Pueblo Esther and Carcarañá, all in Santa Fe. There were also raids in Junín, province of Buenos Aires, and in Aguas Blancas, Salta.
Material seized
In the procedures, five shotguns, four short-barrelled weapons and 420 cartridges of various calibres were seized, along with ten vehicles and 1,384 grammes of narcotics.
In terms of money and valuables, $10,407,000 in cash, US$38,700 and postdated cheques worth $9 million were found. The operation also yielded 42 mobile telephones, two notebooks, two scales and two banknote-counting machines, in addition to five communications equipment and documentation incorporated into the case file.
Case under PROCUNAR
The case file is being processed before the Narcocrimes Prosecution Office (PROCUNAR) Regional NEA, headed by Matías Scilabra, with the involvement of prosecutors Franco Benetti and Gonzalo Ruggeri. The seized material will be analysed to determine the extent of the organisation and identify possible new individuals involved.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires