Installation of explosives to scare the victims, a recurrent practice of criminal groups, in Esmeraldas

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Shots fired at people and homes, explosive devices, pamphlets and telephone messages. That is the modality that crime applies to threaten or extort money from its victims in the city of Esmeraldas.

Between Friday, March 18, and the morning of this Saturday, March 19, reports of three unexploded explosive devices were reported in two sectors of the city. One of these loads was located under a private vehicle, in the Codesa neighborhood.

In Quevedo, two men were killed in less than 14 hours; a crime was by mistake

While in the Santas Vainas sector, two explosives were left in the doorways of private homes.

On the afternoon of Wednesday the 16th, a homemade explosive device was left outside the Ramedi hotel, near the Las Palmas scenic boardwalk, in the north of the city.

Flyers and posters with extortion-type legends or warnings are also left by criminals in stores, commercial establishments or selected homes.

If there is no answer, they come to shoot them as happened in a house in Quinindé (center of the province of Esmeraldas), where three young people were arrested as alleged extortionists. Unase agents managed to locate them after they demanded $8,000 from their victim.

Arrested with firearms

Six people, including a woman, were captured by the Anticriminal Unit in the Los Areneros neighborhood, on the banks of the Teaone River, the previous Wednesday.

Explosive installed near hotel in Esmeraldas causes scare; case would be related to extortion gangs

During the raids, three firearms were found, including a rifle. a feeder for a rifle, two recovered motorcycles. Three of the detainees have criminal records.

In this week there were also injuries from firearm shots in various sectors of the city. One of these attacks happened to a young man in the Progressive Youth neighborhood, on the morning of this Friday the 17th. (I)