An illegal shipment of 60 firearmsbetween rifles and pistols, was seized this Wednesday when it was intended to be introduced into Ecuador, camouflaged inside a container of goods arrived by ship.
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This was reported by the Government in a statement after completing the registration of the container landed in one of the port terminals of Guayaquil, where the Ecuadorian authorities were already waiting for it following the information captured by military intelligence personnel.
According to the Ministry of Government, the shipment could be destined for armed groups that operate in Esmeraldas, a province on the northern coast of Ecuador bordering Colombia. or other criminal gangs that are present in other parts of Ecuadorian territory.
Last week, the Ecuadorian Navy intercepted in national waters a vessel that was illegally transporting 122 assault rifles of three types (AK, M4 and R15), 48 pistols and 124 magazines.
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The vessel was 150 miles (277.8 kilometers) south of San Cristóbal Island, the easternmost of the Galapagos Islands archipelago, which is located about 1,000 kilometers west of the continental coasts of Ecuador. “The seizure of said cargo is unprecedented in the sector,” highlighted the Navy.
In previous months, other similar operations resulted in the seizure of large shipments of drugs that were transported by boats that circulated around the Galapagos towards Central America and North America.
The rise of drug trafficking mafias and organized crime has skyrocketed in Ecuador as demonstrated the homicide rate, which at the end of this year may be around 40 per 100,000 inhabitants, which according to experts would place the country as one of the most violent in Latin America.
EFE
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