A police operation carried out in various parts of northeastern Colomvbian department of Arauca has dismantled an ELN financial network apparently crucial to funding their activities, El Espectador reported Tuesday.
Four people, three women and one man, were arrested after a year of intelligence work found them responsible for raising funds for the left-wing guerrilla group in the region through extortion and kidnapping.
Colonel Javier Guevara, the police commander in Arauca, hailed the capture of the ELN members, who he claimed were responsible for up to 80% of extortion and kidnapping crimes in the area, signaling that “the importance of this catch is that it is going to impact significantly on everything that has to do with strengthening the finances of the ELN.”
The officer stated that among those arrested were the president of a community action board and an officer of a public utility company. With the dismantling of this network, authorities expect to strike a blow to the ELN as a whole in Arauca.
