At 4 a.m. yesterday morning, hundreds of Costa Rican police busted into homes in northern Costa Rica, capturing 28 alleged drug dealers, said Walter Espinoza, director of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ).

The narco group, perhaps the largest in northern Costa Rica, has been under investigation for the past year-and-a-half and is considered one of the largest police raids in recent years. Espinoza said he thought the arrests would disrupt drug dealing in the San Carlos and Pocosol regions.

“This is one of the biggest and most important blows that has been dealt to local dealers in this country, and the first of this caliber in the north. Local drug dealing is causing serious social damage in this region of the country,” said Espinoza.

Espinoza said that for the past three years, the organization has been engaged in trafficking cocaine, crack and marijuana, which they acquired in Búfalo and Batán de Limón. The group was bringing in an estimated 20 million colones in profits each month (about US$35,000).

In total, 29 simultaneous raids were carried out, during which 28 people were captured. Among them were three minors, two women, and 23 adult men.

The leader of the organization, who was arrested yesterday, is presumed to be one Ramos Zúñiga, aka “Gorilla.”

Also arrested in the raids were the Gorilla’s brother, also Ramos Zúñiga, and three other men named Sánchez, Mora and Rodríguez, all of whom appear to have worked to distribute the drugs.

The police raids were carried out in Ciudad Quesada (San Carlos), Pavón, San Antonio and Santa Rosa de Pocosol- where Gorilla lived. The prime markets for their drugs were Pocosol, Guatuso, Ciudad Quesada and Los Chiles.

Also captured by police were firearms, drugs, vehicles and motorcycles, and 4 million colones in cash.

Among the detainees is a man named Toledo Toledo, who, according to Espinoza, apart from selling drugs was responsible for collecting money from sales. Toledo has attempted murder, however, so far, the band is not related to any homicide.

Toledo and the other 27 detainees were sent to the Public Ministry for due process.