Colombian police have captured a key leader of the criminal group “Renacer,” the national police website reported Tuesday.
As part of operation “Oro Negro,” police arrested 30-year old Erlin Javier Arroyo Masquera, alias “Pocholo”, alleged to be the gang’s second-in-command, according to El Espectador.
“Renacer,” a neo-paramilitary drug trafficking gang, operate predominantly within the southwest of the country and in its pacific coastal region, where Pocholo is said to have provided key support for the gang’s main leaders, “Raton” and “Sarley”.
Pocholo has allegedly been involved in criminal activity since the age of 18 and used to be part of the now demobilized Heroes de Choco Bloc for the AUC. He is suspected having committed crimes such as murder, extortion and arms smuggling.
The Prosecutor General’s Office had issued three arrest warrants against him prior to his detention.