Senior PCC member arrested in Santa Cruz: wanted in Brazil for drug trafficking
A Brazilian sentenced to more than 10 years was detained in Santa Cruz on 3 November. President Paz confirmed the arrest and warned that Bolivia will not be a refuge for organised crime.
Arrest of senior PCC leader in Santa Cruz in operation coordinated with Brazil
President Rodrigo Paz confirmed through his social media the detention of a senior member of the First Command of the Capital (PCC) in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, according to El Deber. The detainee, identified by the Government Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo as Dellenberg de Sousa, 33, was arrested on 3 November and faces in Brazil a sentence of 10 years, six months and 16 days imprisonment.
"Bolivia will not be a refuge for organised crime. Our Police arrested in Santa Cruz a senior member of the PCC, wanted in Brazil for drug trafficking, arms trafficking and organised crime, with a sentence of more than 10 years," declared the head of state. According to Paz, the Brazilian citizen used the San Ignacio de Velasco border to transport drugs to the state of Mato Grosso and laundered money from the Santa Cruz capital.
The operation was executed in coordination with Brazil's Federal Police, the head of state specified. "It was an intelligence operation, in coordination with Brazil's Federal Police," Paz added.
Proposal at the Iberoamerican Summit
The president linked the arrest to an initiative presented at the XXX Iberoamerican Summit held in Madrid, Spain. Paz proposed the creation of a Strategic Security Centre in Bolivia, a proposal that was accepted for analysis by the participating countries.
"It is time for Iberoamerica to face insecurity and drug trafficking infiltration in our nations united," the head of state stated.
The Government, according to Paz, is already carrying out actions against criminal organisations in national territory and announced that identification and arrest operations would continue. "To those who want to use Bolivia as a platform for crime, we say that we will identify, locate and arrest them, one by one," concluded the head of state.
Source: El Deber