Ecuador police free 49 people held by gang

Police successful Ecuador accidental they person freed 49 radical who had been kidnapped by a transgression pack successful the confederate of the country.

Two of the suspected kidnappers were arrested during the associated raid by the Ecuadorean information forces successful a mining country successful Azuay province.

The almighty Los Lobos (The Wolves) pack was down the kidnapping, constabulary said.

Ecuador has seen a surge successful pack unit successful caller years arsenic transnational transgression organisations person expanded successful to the Andean state to instrumentality vantage of its ample ports to export drugs.

Video released by police shows heavy equipped officers entering what appears to beryllium the passageway of a mine.

Little accusation has truthful acold been released astir those freed.

An earlier station connected societal media by the Ecuadorean equipped forces stated that determination were 3 women among the kidnap victims.

Dynamite, weapons and ammunition were seized during the raid, information forces besides said.

Los Lobos is 1 of the astir almighty gangs successful Ecuador with an estimated 8,000 members.

Originally a jailhouse pack accused of instigating immoderate of Ecuador's bloodiest situation riots, Los Lobos has expanded its operations and present wields sizeable powerfulness extracurricular the situation system.

Its members are progressive successful declaration killings, kidnappings for ransom and extortion.

The pack has besides forged links with the Mexican Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), for which it smuggles cocaine from Colombia done Ecuador's larboard cities to the US and Europe.

Fuelled by cause wealth and equipped by their Mexican allies, Los Lobos person go a formidable force for the Ecuadorean state.

In January, pursuing a peculiarly bloody question of killings and attacks, President Daniel Noboa deployed the service to effort and quell the violence.

Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest metropolis and its astir important port, has truthful acold been the worst deed by gang-related unit but the raid successful Azuay suggests that mining areas are present seen arsenic lucrative targets by Los Lobos.