'Fito' escaped prison and a state of emergency was declared in Ecuador: Number of detained gang members rises to 1,534

In the South American country of Ecuador, the number of gang members detained following the declaration of a "state of internal armed conflict" has reached 1,534.

In a statement from the government, it was reported that the number of gang members detained in operations conducted over the last 6 days has risen to 1,534, with 158 of them being formally arrested.

The statement, which noted that the operations were carried out in cooperation between the police and the military, recorded that 5 gang members were killed and 2 police officers lost their lives during this period.

The statement indicated that 11 police officers who were held hostage during the operations were rescued from the gangs, and 575 weapons along with 478 improvised explosive devices were seized.

Emphasizing that more than 5.6 tons of drugs were confiscated, the statement shared the information that the operations would continue with determination.

STATE OF EMERGENCY DECISION

The Ecuadorian government, which has been struggling with a security crisis for some time across the country, declared a 60-day state of emergency (SOE) on January 9 following the escape of gang leader Adolfo Macias Salazar, nicknamed "Fito," and several other inmates from a prison in the city of Guayas, and subsequent bomb attacks on police vehicles.

It was announced that a curfew would be implemented between 23:00 and 05:00 within the scope of the state of emergency.

Following the state of emergency decision, criminal organizations kidnapped numerous police officers and set vehicles on fire.

On the other hand, in videos shared on social media, police officers who were kidnapped by gang members were seen with guns held to their heads while pleading for help from President Noboa.