Ecuador cracks criminal ring of police officers, civil servants

QUITO - Ecuador's National Police on Thursday cracked a criminal organization comprised of active and former police officers working in collusion with civil servants, Prosecutor General Diana Salazar said.

The ring operated across six provinces, robbing homes and vehicles on the highways, and extorting or kidnapping victims, among other crimes, Salazar told reporters at a press conference that was also attended by Interior Minister Maria Paula Romo and police department chiefs.

According to David Bermeo, a prosecutor specializing in organized crime who is in charge of the case, the uniformed criminals would gain entry to homes using fake warrants, then steal valuable belongings or threaten the residents and force them to hand over large amounts of cash.

Following a four-month-long investigation, authorities arrested 21 suspects, including two active police officers, a member of the military and two officials from the State Prosecutor General's Office, said Salazar.

Some 16 suspects were arrested during a search and seizure of nine residences in the capital Quito, where authorities found firearms, police uniforms and mobiles.

"The message is clear: zero tolerance for corruption, no matter where," said Salazar.