An operation of the National Police of Peru (PNP) managed to intervene in an illegal warehouse on the northern border of Tumbes where the transfer of Ecuadorian gas to Peruvian cylinders was carried out, using aerial technology equipment to detect illicit activity.
The operation, developed by the Criminal Investigation Division (Divincri) Tombsfocused on the district of Papayalvery close to the border line with Ecuador. A drone allowed the agents to identify the exact location and record the movements within a makeshift property in the sector known as The Box. The commander Oscar Angeleshead of the unit, led the intervention with his team.
The images obtained from the air confirmed the existence of a facility where the illegal storage and transfer of gas. This artisanal process lacked minimum safety standards, which increased the danger of serious accidents due to improper handling.
During the operation, the police seized 220 gas cylindersused to transport Ecuadorian fuel to the Peruvian side. The warehouse managers managed to flee across the border before the agents arrived, which made their capture difficult. The PNP An investigation is open with the aim of identifying and locating those responsible for the operation.
The border crossing has become a strategic point for fuel traffic, driven by the price difference between both countries. In Ecuador, a gas cylinder can be purchased for an amount close to three US dollars, while in Tumbes its value reaches fifty Peruvian soles. This gap generates economic incentives that fuel smuggling and illicit activity in the region.
The artisanal transfer not only affects the formal economy, but also represents a constant danger for those who manipulate the gas and for the nearby population. The absence of adequate controls increases the risk of explosions and other incidents linked to unsafe fuel handling.
The Divincri Tumbes intensifies its actions to reduce hydrocarbon smuggling in the northern part of the country. Commander Ángeles pointed out that the seized cylinders will undergo technical analysis before the authorities decide on their final destination.
The authorities have included the intervened property in the official record of operations carried out against illicit hydrocarbon activities in the region, thus strengthening the monitoring of these cases.
The intervention in Papayal is part of a strategy supported by the PNP to stop illegal fuel trafficking between Peru and Ecuador. These surveillance and control efforts seek to reduce the operational capacity of organizations dedicated to smuggling.
The use of technological equipment and the collection of intelligence information have become key tools to detect new ways to evade border surveillance. In this way, the police strengthen their capacity to respond to the changing modalities that illegal trafficking adopts in the border area.
