CARACAS: SOME 2,000 paramilitaries and smugglers have been arrested in Venezuela’s three-month anti-crime sweep, the government announced yesterday.
Interior Minister Gustavo Lopez said the arrests were made under the Operations for the Liberation of the People (OLP) crackdown.
“In the past 96 days the OLP has carried out 100 operations, during which 67,939 deployed officials have succeeded in capturing 1,852 people for various crimes, dismantled 109 gangs, seized 1,272 firearms, and recovered 207 cars and 353 vehicles,” Mr Lopez said.
The minister hailed increased co-operation between different police and security agencies, including the national guard, for the success of the operations.
Venezuela closed several key border crossings with neighbouring Colombia in July after three soldiers were wounded in a gun attack by smugglers.
Smuggling of government-subsidised petrol and food from Venezuela is rife, while Colombian right-wing paramilitaries have resorted to organised crime and selling their services to the Venezuelan opposition.
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