Police on Wednesday announced the detainment of 29 alleged members of a Medellin sub-gang controlled by drug kingpin ‘Valenciano’.
Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office authorized the conduction of 24 police raids throughout the Medellin barrios of Pedregal and Castilla where 29 members of an illegal gang called ‘la arboleda’ were captured, reported newspaper El Mundo Wednesday.
‘La arboleda’ are believed to be a support group to ‘Valenciano’ who himself is a commanding force behind one of Medellin’s largest drug trafficking organizations, the Office of Envigado.
According to reports, the investigation into ‘la arboleda’ has taken some 13 months and each of the captured members was wanted by court orders.
During the police operation, nine motorcycles and one vehicle were seized – which were allegedly being used for the gang’s illegal activities.
‘La arboleda’ is believed to play a primary role in the dispute for territorial control of Medellin’s volatile Comuna 6, orchestrating the execution of multiple homicides for the charge of illegal income such as extortion and narcotics trafficking.
Authorities detail that one of ‘la arboledas’ most concerning traits was the use of minors and women in the carrying out of murders as well as to traffic arms and drugs, thus enabling the gang’s leading members to elude justice.