By Wendy Anders

Costa Rica’s drug control police completed the bust of a drug ring based out of southern Costa Rica with nine arrests yesterday in different parts of the country, reported the Public Security Ministry.

Three other members of the group were previously arrested, two in 2015 and one last month.

Research conducted by the drug police reveals that group had its base of operations in the southern part of the country and had collaborators in San José, with one of their leaders directing things from Alajuela’s La Reforma prison.

Yesterday’s operation led to the dismantling of the entire 12-person narco criminal structure which moved drugs from Panama into Costa Rica, said the ministry press office.

The group, said the Security Ministry, was established by two brothers by the last name Vázquez who acted as leaders, one was 31 and the other was 46 and was known as “Cali.” Apparently the Vazquez brothers used others to do the street work in order to avoid arrest. All 12 group members are Costa Ricans.

The nine arrested yesterday were as follows: A man by the last name of Garcia, 30, and a 24-year-old fellow named Arias, known as “Pocho,” both of whom appear to have provided the drugs to the organization. Other detainees include two men, Vásquez, 25, and Gonzalez, alias “Chucky”, aged 22.

A woman by the last name of Vásquez, 43, who apparently stored the drugs in Golfito, Piedras Blancas, and La Florida, Puntarenas was also arrested. The drug police simultaneously captured another man named Vásquez, 39, also called “Jeffry,” and a man named Mendez, 38. The latter two were allegedly responsible for carrying out the transfer of drugs to San José and other parts of country.

The previous arrests of the other three members of this group were as follows: On December 21, 2015 in Uvita a vehicle driven by a nam named Jara, 26, was stopped and arrested for possession of 29 packages of cocaine.

On July 6, 2016, a woman, 33, by the last name of Calderon, was arrested while traveling in a vehicle near La Yarda with two packets of cocaine.

And on September 25, 2016, Quirós, 46, was detained in San José with 106 kilograms of cocaine in his possession.