The armed forces handled 16,626 cases, more than 13,329 in 2022, and reported 779 raids in the country in cooperation with the State Ministry, the Interior Ministry said.
He added that together with other PNC units, they confiscated 129 firearms, 1,313 cell phones and 233 vehicles, all related to these illegal activities.
Interior Ministry spokesman Jorge Aguilar stressed days ago that much of the credit goes to the National Department against the criminal development of gangs.
He pointed out that the majority of members of the criminal groups belong to the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs.
However, there are also people who imitate these organizations and use intimidating telephone calls to blackmail the population and obtain illegal money.
The Deputy General Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, Edis Fabián, emphasized in recent statements the effectiveness of the implemented plans, “which are fundamental to counteract the above-mentioned crime phenomenon at the national level,” he assured.
Among the strategies he listed was coordination with the penal system, which made it possible to reduce communications from gang leaders from prison centers where some anomalous acts are staged.
“This led to searches aimed at identifying illegal devices in prisons and informing criminals of new charges against them,” the deputy director described.
He called for people to report any extortion or intimidation for money and to rely on the work of the PNC to counter these groups.
An anonymous survey conducted early last year revealed details about the prevalence of this crime, the actions of criminals and its impact on business in this Central American territory.
The insecurity caused by such a scourge, the reports agree, has a direct impact on people's behavioral patterns and limits their public coexistence and relationships in Guatemala.
ro/znc