Don’t be surprised or scared if one of these days, on your way home, to work, shopping, etc. you run into an ‘army’ of police, given that since yesterday (Wednesday) and for an indefinite time that will be a reality in San Jose, also known as ‘Chepe’.
Juan Jose Andrade, the vice-minister of Security, said the objective is to give security back to the good people of Josefinos who live in ‘problematic’ areas where there has been a rash of homicides in recent days.
Seguimos trabajando en zonas vulnerables en favor de las personas de bien, hacemos abordajes, decomisamos drogas, armas y hemos consultado a más de 400 personas, nosotros no descansamos ni nos cansamos #HacemosNuestroTrabajo @fuerzapublicaCR pic.twitter.com/PME3mDjCej
— Juan Jose Andrade M (@j_j_andrade) December 21, 2017
The first megaoperativo (mega-operation) was carried out in Pavas with the participation of some 300 police officials from different police bodies of the Ministerio de Seguridad Publica (MSP) – Ministry of Public Security.
“We are working in full with the police information department to find out which areas to take action. The idea is to give a message of security to people who are worried about the killings that have taken place in the last few days and at the same time take off the streets weapons, drugs, and dangerous people,” said Andrade.
The vice-minister added that in the first hours of the megaoperativo 150 people came under scrutiny, of which 50 were submitted to a closer look since they had no documents on them.
Seguimos interviniendo en Pavas, más de 350 personas investigadas, 600 dosis de droga, 2 armas de fuego decomisadas, 2 capturas #HacemosNuestroTrabajo @fuerzapublicaCR pic.twitter.com/BAx4mUuPfL
— Juan Jose Andrade M (@j_j_andrade) December 20, 2017
“We have confiscated drugs, mainly crack cocaine, seized two pistols and also detained two people with warrants pending. These operations will continue every day,” said Andrade.
The Ministry of Security is also maintaining constant spotchecks in the area of the San Jose airport.
Oficiales de la Policía Aeroportuaria del SVA efectúan patrullajes preventivos. pic.twitter.com/4fpfgl23U8
— Seguridad Pública (@seguridadcr) December 21, 2017
For authorities, the capital city mainly is in the middle of “narco war” that has left many dead this month, one of the victims was Erwin Guido Toruño, better known as El Gringo, the head of one the violent gangs responsible for multiple murders in the last week.
El Gringo was a known narco and murderer, whom authorities attribute at least ten deaths. Toruño’s body appeared early Saturday morning on the bridge that connects Los Bajos Ledezma and Rohrmoser, two hundred meters from Playa Mayor (between Pavas and La Uruca). Toruño was tortured and stabbed to death by his enemies and his body thrown onto the bridge from a moving vehicle.
Days earlier, a van with two bodies inside was stopped by police in the area of La Sabana. In the police action, a gunfight between the live occupants of the van and police ensued, with the capture of eight gang members detained later in the day. In the days earlier, three other bodies appeared in different areas of the city. All were wrapped in white sheets, all believed to be linked to the same criminal group, a group allegedly led by El Gringo.
Authorities fear that the murder of the narco will cause more deaths and the reason for the military like police action is to calm conflictive areas such as the westernmost part of Pavas, La Carpio and the Leon XII, among others.
