Chetumal, Q.R. — Authorities in southern Quintana Roo executed 16 search warrants in order to shut down a criminal spy network. Over 100 surveillance cameras were seized during raids that included gyms, restaurants, shops, warehouses, private homes and one hotel.
Authorities said Friday they dismantled a clandestine criminal group monitoring center in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco in southern Quintana Roo. During the Thursday raids, stolen vehicles and loaded firearms were also found.
The network was dismantled and five arrests made during the mega-operation that involved the military, FGE and members of the Interinstitutional Group. Police said a majority of the monitoring points were found in the towns of Subteniente López and Chetumal, both in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco.
During their first search, 24 surveillance cameras were found being monitored from inside a home on Oaxaca Street in the town of Subteniente López. Those cameras were “installed in 17 strategic points in the community and in Chetumal, which were monitored 24 hours a day through three televisions,” police said.
Three people believed related to the use of the illegal surveillance cameras were taken into custody from near the private home.
“Two males and one female identified as Rudy “N”, Adriel Osvin “N” and Fariay Edith “N”” were arrested Friday. Police say they “are allegedly related to crimes of drug dealing.”
Subsequently, the Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office carried out 12 more search warrants in Subteniente López and three in the city of Chetumal. The community of Subteniente López lies along the Quintana Roo border with Belize.
In the raided properties they seized 113 video surveillance cameras, 14 DVRs and four vehicles, one of which had been reported stolen. They also seized a motorcycle, four televisions, two firearms: one long and one short, both 0.22 mm caliber, a communication radio, a modem and two optical network terminals.
From the 16 searches, an internet extender, two wireless routers and six cell phones, in addition to substances similar to marijuana and cocaine were also found and seized.
A few meters from one of the raided properties police arrested Geovanny Abdiel “N” and Raymel Nahem “N”, and seized doses of what is believed to be possible narcotics from them.
Authorities says the 16 search warrants included searches of gyms, restaurants, shops, a hotel, warehouses and private homes, all of which had cameras installed and connected to the clandestine monitoring center.
During the execution of the court orders, agents from the Investigative Police of the Attorney General’s Office (FGE), the Navy Secretariat, National Defense Secretariat, National Guard, State Police and Municipal Police participated.
