Moreno demands Sánchez reactivate elite OCON-Sur unit against drug trafficking in Andalucía
The Andalusian president sent a letter to Sánchez requesting the reactivation of OCON-Sur following several violent drug-trafficking incidents, including two murders in Isla Cristina.
Moreno calls on Sánchez by letter to reactivate OCON-Sur amid drug trafficking surge in Andalucía
The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, has demanded that Pedro Sánchez's Government reactivate OCON-Sur, the specialised Civil Guard unit dedicated to combating drug trafficking in the region, which was dismantled four years ago. According to libertaddigital.com, the request comes following a series of violent episodes linked to drug trafficking recorded in recent days in the community.
Moreno conveyed his demand directly to the president of the Executive through a letter in which he expresses his "concern" about the advance of drug-trafficking organisations and warns that Andalucía has become "an operational base" for various criminal clans and networks. "We are no longer talking about a specific district, but the entire coastline and part of the interior are targets of drug traffickers," the Andalusian president states in the letter.
Triple trigger: two women and a minor killed in Isla Cristina
The request comes after hooded gunmen killed two women and a minor on 16 August in Isla Cristina, in the province of Huelva. That incident was followed by an attack by a narco speedboat on a Civil Guard patrol vessel in waters of the same province, in addition to the death of a man in a shooting that occurred a week ago in Utrera, Seville.
Moreno also recalled in his letter the four Civil Guards killed in the past two years whilst on duty. "And I want to remember also David, Miguel Ángel, Germán and Jerónimo, the four Civil Guard officers killed in the past two years in Barbate and Huelva whilst on duty, attempting to fight against this scourge," the text states.
OCON-Sur, "effective at containing these criminal organisations"
The main measure put forward by Moreno is the recovery of OCON-Sur, which according to him proved "effective at containing these criminal organisations" during its operational period. The Andalusian president believes that its disappearance favoured the growth of drug-trafficking group activity. "Most experts agree in pointing out that the disappearance of this unit represented a turning point in the increase of activity by criminal organisations and clans," he asserts.
Moreno is categorical on this matter: "Time and events have demonstrated that the dismantling of OCON-Sur was a mistake that unfortunately is having serious consequences for our officers and our citizens."
Narco speedboats on the Guadalquivir in broad daylight
The president of the Junta also denounced the presence of narco speedboats operating with complete impunity at various points in Andalucía, despite such vessels being prohibited. "We have become familiar with the image of how, in broad daylight, narco speedboats operate and take shelter, for example, in the course of the Guadalquivir river," he lamented.
These vessels, according to Moreno, no longer limit themselves to Andalusian coasts, but have been spotted on several occasions venturing up the Guadalquivir without State Security Forces and Bodies being able to intercept them.
Lack of resources and recruitment of vulnerable young people
Moreno also included in his letter complaints from officers about the shortage of resources: "An underlying complaint has spread about the lack of resources that officers have to fight on equal terms against this challenge." In addition to demanding the reactivation of OCON-Sur, he calls for more resources for all State Security Forces and Bodies.
The Andalusian president also focused on the social consequences of drug trafficking and the ability of criminal organisations to recruit collaborators from the most vulnerable sectors. "Drug traffickers take advantage of the most disadvantaged social sectors to make them part of their support networks, supply and distribution of drugs," he warned.
For Moreno, the situation has reached a state of "maximum gravity" because it generates "insecurity among citizens in view of the fact that these incidents are repeating with ever greater frequency and impunity". "It is urgent to take measures against the surge in violence," he concluded.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)