After an operation by the authorities on the Caribbean coast, which became known on Thursday, March 23, the rescue of a significant number of wild species that were in the power of wildlife traffickers was achieved, that, moreover, They were in terrible condition.
“In a quick and decisive action by the personnel attached to the Directorate of Carabineros and Environmental Protection of the National Police, the seizure of about 1,500 wild species that were going to be trafficked by criminals in the department of Sucre was achieved.” reported Colonel William Castaño Ramos, who heads this specialty in the north of the country.
The operation was carried out in coordination with the judicial bodies that allowed to thwart that animals will end up in places other than their natural environment.
“In an articulated work between the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation, the Criminal Investigation Section of this direction, it is possible to execute that operation in the village of La Guaripa. This police procedure achieved the seizure of 1,200 stifles, 18 skins of this same species, 250 icotea tortoises and a white-faced monkey, that were ready to be marketed in the departments of Sucre, Bolívar and Córdoba”, he added.
In the midst of the raid and search activities of the operation, the uniformed officers captured a person in flagrante delicto who It was handed over to the judicial authorities to answer for the crimes of exploitation of renewable natural resources and wildlife trafficking.
The officer also pointed out that due to this criminal practice, the traffickers are obtaining millionaire dividends: “Criminal investigation activities have made it possible to establish that these annual groups for more than 500 million pesos due to the trade and trafficking of wildlife”.
For this reason, Colonel Castaño recalled that these animals have important functions for the environment in the Caribbean region, so it is important that the populations of the area report this crime.
“It is important to remind the community of the importance that these species have for ecosystems. For this reason, it is invited to denounce when there is knowledge about the trafficking, captivity or mistreatment of the different species that our national geography has. the officer concluded.
