The operation dealt a blow to one of the main sources of illegal funding for criminal organizations in the southern part of the country, undermining their economic capabilities and curbing illicit mining activities that cause severe environmental damage in the department of Putumayo.
As part of the offensive operations outlined in the Ayacucho Plus Campaign Plan, troops from the 27th Field Artillery Battalion of the 27th Brigade
carried out a military operation in the rural area of Playa Rica of the municipality of Puerto Caicedo, Putumayo, which led to the location and destruction of seven illegal mining operations used for the illicit exploitation of open-pit mines.
The operation was made possible by coordinated and interagency efforts between the Colombian Aerospace Force’s 62nd Air Intelligence Group, the Amazon Regional Intelligence Unit, the Brigade Against the Illegal Exploitation of Mineral Deposits, and the Sijin of the National Police.
These capabilities enabled the consolidation of strategic intelligence and the effective execution of military operations against structures engaged in the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits in the department of Putumayo.The operation took place in an area where criminal groups continue to use jungle corridors and water sources to sustain illicit economies that directly impact the environment and the safety of the civilian population. According to information obtained during the operation, these illegal mining complexes are reportedly being operated by personnel recruited by the residual organized armed group Second Marquetalia, Border Command structure.
During the operation, troops located and destroyed seven illegal mining production units, four dredges, two sorting machines, 400 meters of black hose, and 80 meters of three-inch PVC pipe, equipment used to carry out illegal mining activities in the region and valued at over 128 million pesos.
This operation has dealt an economic blow of over 3 billion pesos to the illicit finances of this criminal structure, in addition to preventing the production of approximately 6,000 grams of gold, material that would have been illegally sold to bolster the logistical and criminal capabilities of the residual organized armed group.
The illicit exploitation of mineral deposits not only represents a source of funding for organized armed groups but also causes serious environmental damage, contamination of water sources, and the progressive deterioration of ecosystems in the department of Putumayo.
With this operational success, the National Army continues to weaken the logistical and financial capabilities of the criminal structures operating in this region of the country, reaffirming its commitment to the protection of natural resources, territorial security, and the well-being of communities.
Source:
Sixth Division Press.
