The Military GAULA (Unified operation Groups for Personal Freedom), within the framework of the Ayacucho Plan, have been carrying out permanent work, in coordination with the Police GAULA and interagency with the Specialized Prosecutor's Offices, the Technical Investigation Corps, the Military Divisions and Brigades, to counter criminal operations.
Thus, so far in 2023, significant results have been reported with the dismantling of criminal groups throughout the country, the arrest of ringleaders of organized armed groups, the rescue and release of kidnapped people, instructions to civilian personnel and the decisive presentation of the anti-kidnapping and anti-extortion campaign I don't pay, I denounce, training for Gaula men and women has been strengthened and there has been ongoing coordination with the Attorney General's Office to conduct processes and maintain firmness against the crimes of extortion and kidnapping, activities led by the National Director of the Military Gaula (Anti-Extortion and Anti-Kidnapping Group).
As for the training alignment of Military Gaula units, it should be noted that during this first quarter the National Directorate of Military Gaula (DIGAU) focused one of its objectives so that, with the Training Directive, they would align with the Military Forces through the Joint Department of Military Education (CGDJ7), the Army Education and Doctrine Command (CEDOC) and the Department of Military Education (CEDE7), in order to include training of the Forces' own Resources with the Instruction and Training Battalions.
For their part, the Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers were trained and enhanced their knowledge through the completion of the first Intelligence and Counterintelligence diploma events of the four that have been scheduled for this term at the Intelligence and Counterintelligence School BG Ricardo Charry Solano, which seeks to expand the fundamental concepts of military doctrine, analyzing the information and opening more and more the operational understanding among the Gaula members.
In the same way, Soldiers and navy men completed the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Extortion Special Operations Course (COEAN) whose purpose is to strengthen operational resources, skills and tactics.
They in the same way reported to strengthen knowledge on intelligence issues for operations with own units of the National Army with the Department of Military Intelligence and Counterintelligence, (CEDE2).
With the aim of verifying the strengths and weaknesses of the Military Gaula at the national level, the DIGAU carried out twelve visits to the units in coordination with the Prosecutor's Office and the CTI (Technical Investigations Corps) in order to carry out strategies to strengthen those that have been most disturbed by the crime of extortion and enhance operational results, such as those reported in Buenaventura, Antioquia and the Caribbean.
It should be noted that this interagency work has been verifying files and strengthening the judicial body to increase operations against extortion and kidnapping in areas with greater loss, for this reason the units planned for intervention are: Tumaco, Huila, Santander and Norte de Santander.
One of the relevant points in this strategy were the meetings held with the trade union directives at the national level in order to strengthen citizen participation, as it was agreed to bring the Gaula (Anti-Extortion and Anti-Kidnapping Group) commanders of each region to generate good prevention practices.
As for the liberation and rescue operations, during this period the Military Gaula (Anti-Extortion and Anti-Kidnapping Group) units reported, in the frame of their mission against kidnapping, the release of 12 people and the rescue of a citizen.
The decisiveness of the Military Gaula (Anti-Extortion and Anti-Kidnapping Group) operations against organized crime has made it possible to dismantle several criminal groups, as well as weaken the illegal activities of criminal structures, since potential victims of extortion have not payed $4,487,687,680 COP for this crime.
It should be pointed out that the thirty鈥搕wo Military Gaula units in the country are constantly fighting kidnapping and extortion crimes, reporting to date 256 operations with the following results: Arrests for extortion: 218 of which correspond 46 of Organized Armed Groups (GAO Clan del Golfo - Pelusos - Caparros); 3 of members of Residual Organized Armed Groups; 51 of Organized Criminal Groups and 118 of Common Crime individuals.
For the Military Gaula, prevention is essential since it is the way they approach civilians to build trust and raise people's awareness about the importance of making denunciations about kidnapping and extortion crimes, which is why they have reported training 11,485 people to date.
They have in the same way promoted the I don't pay, I denounce campaign in the different regions of the country, reporting the training of 11,485 people to date.
The Military Gaula invite people to report on line 147 all cases that threaten people's freedom and not to pay money, no matter how small could it be, to criminals who commit crimes such as extortion and kidnapping Colombians, it is also encouraged to follow our social media accounts on Twitter @GaulaMilitares, Instagram Gaulamilitares and Tiktok @Gaulamilitares.
Source: Unified action Groups for Personal Freedom - Military Gaula
