Nearly fifty guards at Santiago 1 prison arrested in raid
A major investigation resulted in the capture of dozens of prison officers from the capital facility, allegedly linked to a criminal gang.
Nearly fifty guards at Santiago 1 prison arrested in raid
A comprehensive investigation concluded with the detention of dozens of officers from the Santiago 1 correctional centre. Secretary of State Luis Cordero, head of the Public Security portfolio, confirmed that 41 members of the facility's staff were apprehended through judicial warrants, to which four arrests in flagrante delicto were added. Together, the figure represents one-tenth of all personnel at the facility.
The information was disclosed by news outlet BioBioChile.
The operation, named "Apocalypse", was executed in the early hours of Tuesday, around 3:00 a.m. The raids covered the capital prison, eight further facilities and some private residences. Planning of the procedure took several weeks.
According to the government official, investigation, search and arrest warrants were already prepared in advance, which explains the number of arrests.
Despite the magnitude of the intervention, life inside the prison was not affected. There were no disturbances from inmates or workers who were not arrested. Transfers of persons deprived of liberty to their respective court hearings proceeded without incident.
This outcome is attributed to prior coordination between the penitentiary institution and the Justice and Public Security portfolios. Cordero indicated that in the last two years three investigations of similar scale have been carried out, all with protocols designed to preserve normality within the facilities.
The minister warned that the investigations have not concluded and that further officials implicated may be added. Work is already underway on corrective actions for the administration of closed facilities, in coordination with Gendarmería.
Source: Google News CL — Santiago