HomeNewsAnalysisShining Path Guerrilla Describes Life in the Drug Trade
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Shining Path Guerrilla Describes Life in the Drug Trade

PERU / 23 NOV 2010 BY INSIGHT CRIME EN

Edgar Mejía Asencio, alias "Izula," an alleged former commander of the Shining Path's Upper Huallaga faction who was arrested October 13, recently spoke with La Republica about his experience with the rebel group. He talks about the rebels' longtime involvement in the drug trade and says that his guerrilla unit was capable of producing almost five tons of cocaine a year.

Excerpt from La República article:"'Izula,' the most important Sendero commander in the Huallaga valley yet detained by anti-narcotics police, confessed under questioning that his top commander, Florindo Flores Hala, 'Comrade Artemio,' produces and sells cocaine for the drug trafficker known as 'Braulio.

'Edgar Mejía Asencio, 'Comarade Izula,' captured October 13 outside of Aucayacu while intending to construct a drug processing lab there, declared that he had been dedicated to drug trafficking for six years now, under Artemio's orders.

"How long have you been dedicated to the manufacture, marketing and storage of drugs?" police asked the captive, who is considered the number two head of Sendero Luminoso in the Huallaga Valley.

"We've been developing activities since 2004 or so. We sold drugs to Braulio. Once I bought a car with the money he gave me," said Izula. "I delivered the drugs to Braulio and his workers, like 'Chejo' and 'Pastor,' about eleven times. Later I worked in one of Braulio's drug processing labs, since 2005. I helped with processing the drugs. Braulio's partner in the labs is 'Comrade Artemio.

'"Pressured to say where this lab was located, Izula explained:

"We were based in Azul de Magdalena, in the Cholón district, in the province of Marañón in Huánuco. Here there were three Colombians who worked as chemists (their names are omitted for security reasons). Every two months the lab produced an average of 800 kilos of cocaine chlorohydrate," the terrorist said. "I can't say exactly where they took the drugs. What I can say is that the precursor chemicals were brought in by 'Chejo,' 'Pastor' and 'Cabeza.

'If Izula's statistics are correct, that means every year Artemio sold 4.8 tons of cocaine just to the drug trafficker 'Braulio,' who has been identified, but not published due to security reasons.

Artemio's partnership with Brauila suffered all the highs and lows of the drug business, according to Izula, who personally suffered the consequences. "During the last round of production, they didn't pay us anything because there was an explosion and a fire which finished everything. They lost something around 1,200 kilos of drugs and another amount that was still in the production process. Afterwards I found out from 'Tigre' and Chejo that Braulio and Artemio agreed not to pay us anything because everything was lost in the fire."

Original Text from La República:

“Izula”, el más importante cabecilla senderista del valle del Huallaga detenido hasta el momento por la policía antidrogas, confesó durante los interrogatorios que su líder máximo, Florindo Flores Hala,“camarada Artemio”, elabora  y vende cocaína para elnarcotraficante conocido como “Braulio”.

Edgar Mejía Asencio, “camarada Izula”, capturado el 13 de octubre en las afueras de Aucayacu, precisamente cuando se aprestaba a construir un laboratorio de procesamiento de droga, declaró que se dedicaba al narcotráfico desde hace seis años por orden de “Artemio”.

“¿Desde cuándo se dedica a la elaboración, comercialización y acopio de droga?”, le preguntó la policía a quien es considerado como el número dos del senderismo en el Huallaga.

“He desarrollado actividades de elaboración y acopio de droga desde 2004, aproximadamente. Le vendía a ‘Braulio’. Una vez con el dinero que me dio él me compré un auto”, respondió “Izula”: “Habré entregado unas once veces droga a ‘Braulio’ o a sus trabajadores, como ‘Chejo’ y ‘Pastor’. Luego trabajé en el laboratorio de procesamiento de droga de ‘Braulio’, a partir de 2005. Yo prensaba la droga. El socio del laboratorio de ‘Braulio’ es el ‘camarada Artemio”.

“Izula”, presionado para que indicara dónde se encontraba dicho laboratorio, explicó:

“Estaba ubicado en el caserío Azul de Magdalena, en el distrito de Cholón, en la provincia de Marañón que pertenece a Huánuco. En ese lugar había tres colombianos que trabajaban como químicos (los nombres se omiten por razones de seguridad). Cada dos meses se producía un promedio de 800 kilos de clorhidrato de cocaína”, detalló el terrorista: “No puedo precisar adónde llevaban la droga. Lo que puedo decir es que los insumos químicos eran traídos por ‘Chejo’, ‘Pastor’ y ‘Cabeza’”.

Si las cifras de “Izula” son correctas, al año “Artemio” le vendía  4.8 toneladas de cocaína solamente al narcotraficante “Braulio”, quien está plenamente identificado, pero que por razones de seguridad no se consigna.

La sociedad de “Artemio” con “Braulio” asume las pérdidas y ganancias del negocio ilícito, de acuerdo con la descripción de “Izula”, quien sufrió en carne propia las consecuencias. “Cuando nos encontrábamos en la última producción (de droga), no nos pagaron nada porque sucedió una explosión e incendio que acabó con todo. Se perdieron alrededor de 1,200 kilos de droga y otra cantidad que estaba en proceso de elaboración. Después me enteré por intermedio de ‘Tigre’ y ‘Chejo’ que ‘Braulio’ y ‘Artemio’ se pusieron de acuerdo para que no nos pagaran nada porque en el incendio se perdió todo”.

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