In order to warn people about the crimes of kidnapping and extortion, members of the Unified operation Groups for Personal Freedom (Gaula), carried out different prevention activities throughout the national territory.
Taking into account that extortion has become a main source of income for criminal groups and organized armed groups, the 32 Military Gaula units have focused their efforts to carry out different preventive activities and eradicate as much as possible the behaviors that threaten freedom and heritage of Colombians.
Thus, during the month of July and framed in the National Anti-extortion Plan 2020-2022, 143 workshops of self-care were carried out, 3,240 people have been trained, 131 events have been accompanied, 82 lectures on radio stations have been broadcasted, 326 twits have been published, and 8 958 radio stations messages have been emitted, and 71,346 brochures have been distributed with the national line 147, 164 check points have been installed, 971 activities have carried out, 3,867 posters have been published and 101 activities of speakers took place during the day and night.
One of the main intentions of the Military Gaula (Anti-Extortion and Anti-Kidnapping Group) is that every day more Colombians are part of the inter-institutional campaign Yo no pago, yo denuncio, whose purpose is to encourage reporting against the crimes of kidnapping and extortion, and warn about the modalities of extortion, inform how to proceed in case of being in these situations and most importantly, go to the highly trained men of these units, because the reaction of each unit is immediate.
Among the main recommendations issued daily by the Military Gaula are the following:
-Prevent revealing data from your personal and family life on public sites, especially if you meet people.
- As far as possible prevent providing personal information over the phone that can later be used against you.
In case of receiving an extortion call:
- The first thing to do is to remain calm.
- Always ask for identification of the person making the call.
-Prevent being handled by the conversation, remember that it must be consistent.
- If possible try to record the call or write down what they tell you to have details of the conversation.
This is why we invite all citizens to call the national hotline 147, 24 hours a day where identity is protected.
Source: Press - Military Gaula
