Operation Apollo 33 in Guayaquil: 16 detained and 13 bags of homemade explosives seized
The National Police carried out Operation Apollo 33 in Zone 8 and detained 16 people linked to six criminal structures. Fourteen firearms and 13 bags of homemade explosives were also seized.
Police dismantle six gangs in Guayaquil and find large deposit of homemade explosives
In the early hours of Friday, 2 October, the National Police detained 16 people allegedly linked to criminal activities during Operation Apollo 33, according to a report by eluniverso.com. The interventions covered different areas of Guayaquil and the cantons Durán and Samborondón, which make up the so-called Zone 8.
Juan Carlos Soria, acting commander of Zone 8, confirmed that two of those apprehended had active arrest warrants for the crimes of murder for hire and robbery. The police operations, Soria detailed, affected the operations of six criminal structures: Los Lobos, Los Águilas, Los Tiguerones, Mafia 18, Chone Killers and Freddy Krueger.
During the raids, fourteen firearms—both long and short—were seized and four vehicles with irregularities in their documentation were recovered.
Thirteen bags of explosives located thanks to tip-off via QR code
The most significant find of the operation was a property where a large quantity of homemade explosives were being stored. The location of the place was made possible thanks to a citizen tip-off received through a QR code. Inside, thirteen bags full of these devices were found.
Soria warned that improper handling of the material could have caused an explosion with serious material damage and even fatalities.
Two homicides solved; suspects used bicycle to attack
Within the framework of recent operations, the commander indicated that the Directorate of Violent Deaths (Dinased) managed to clarify two cases of violent deaths. In the Esteros district, authorities identified a man who allegedly used a bicycle to kill a person. In the Portete sector, a minor was isolated for his suspected involvement in another violent incident committed using the same means of transport.
According to Soria, the use of the bicycle would have been in response to the need to access victims more easily, avoid raising suspicions and not generate an alert reaction among those affected.
The authorities continue investigating the involvement of others implicated in various criminal acts, based on the evidence collected during the operations.
Source: Google News EC — Guayaquil