Colombia captures 700 gang members so far in 2010

The Colombian police have captured 714 members of criminal groups to date in 2010, including the high profile arrests of Hector Jose Buitrago, alias “El Patron,” and Ramon Alejandro Quintero, according to a statement released Monday by the Ministry of Defense.

President Alvaro Uribe set up a special “search bloc” in March to battle emerging paramilitary and drug gangs.

Police seized over 500 firearms, 7433 rounds of amunition, and 3371 kgs of drugs during 144 operations in the first few months of the year.

Last week police arrested fifteen members of the powerful drug gang “Los Rostrojos” in Buenavista in Colombia’s north-western Cordoba department.

In January, Colombian police announced that only six of the 33 armed paramilitary groups that emerged from the demobilization of the the AUC remain in action.

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