LIMA (Reuters) – A major police operation took place in Peru on Wednesday, with hundreds of officers raiding properties and arresting 18 individuals as part of an investigation into illegal arms trafficking. This operation is also linked to the murder of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate last year.
Approximately 700 officers participated in this “mega-operation,” conducting raids on houses and offices in various districts of Lima as well as in regions along Peru’s border with Ecuador, such as Tumbes, Cajamarca, and Piura. According to Jorge Chavez, who leads the Peru prosecutor’s office against organized crime, the operation was supported by the U.S. embassy.
The focus of the operation was on companies suspected of importing weapons, mainly from the United States and Turkey. These companies were then allegedly paying individuals with low incomes to acquire licenses and buy the firearms. Chavez stated that these weapons ultimately ended up in the hands of criminal groups, including those involved in the assassination of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
Chavez revealed that his office has intelligence suggesting that a weapon obtained from these companies may have been used in the killing of the former presidential candidate. Villavicencio, known for his strong stance against corruption and organized crime, was shot dead in August after a campaign event in Quito, just days before Ecuador’s presidential election.
Images from local television broadcasts showed police confiscating handguns, hunting and sports weapons, long-range rifles, as well as electronic devices, computers, and documents during the raids conducted on Wednesday. This indicates the scope of the operation and the variety of items seized as part of the investigation.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Toby Chopra)
