The Hercules Joint Stabilization and Consolidation Task Force, in compliance with the “Heroes of Freedom” Bicentenary Plan and through its National Army component, achieved the destruction of two illegal refineries in the Bellavista Guayacana village, belonging to the municipality of Tumaco, in the department of Nariño, and the Junín village of the municipality of Barbacoas.
The first of these important operations was carried out by troops of the Rapid Deployment Battalion No.5, of the Rapid Deployment Force No.2, who achieved the destruction of this refinery, which becomes a blunt blow to the finances of the Residual Organized Armed Group, GAO-R, Los Contadores, who commit crimes in this area of the Pacific in the department of Nariño. Troops destroyed 72,911 gallons of petroleum, 4 pools, 3 Martians (rudimentary distillation towers), 4 motor pumps, 60 galvanized pipes and 500 meters of one inch hose. All material would cost 506,681,900 million pesos, about US$149,352.090.
The second operation was carried out by troops of the Rapid Deployment Battalion No.6, of the Fudra No.2 in the Junín village of the municipality of Barbacoas. They destroyed 4 thousand gallons of fuel, 10 thousand 500 gallons of petroleum, 4 barrels of 55 gallons, 8 Martians and 3 pools; everything would cost 800 million pesos. This illegal refinery provided finances to the ELN, thus this is a blunt blow to the illicit activities of this terrorist group.
In these refineries, different types of raw materials are processed, such as fuel, with which they supply the machines that they use for illegal mining and as a precursor for the production of coca base paste.
The environmental damages that these terrorist groups make to the environment are irreparable, since the derivatives that they do not use to obtain the the liquid they call refined, are thrown into the Caonapí stream that flows into the Mira river, contaminating these water sources with these materials that are highly toxic For those who consume this water.
This year 83 illegal refineries have been destroyed, 1,191 between 2018 and 2020 which significantly weaken the illegal economy of the two Residual organized Armed Groups Los Contadores and the Oliver Sinisterra.
Source: National Army