The head of the National Police in the northern region of La Libertad, Augusto Ríos, said on Monday that there has been no reports of insurgent activity such as the almost extinct Shining Path, as none of them claimed responsibility for the attacks that left the mining company Poderosa without power.

He added that suspicions fall on illegal miners operating in the Pataz province of the aforementioned region, near Poderosa, as the perpetrators of the attacks carried out on July 28 and 30.

According to Ríos, illegal mining has brought armed criminals to the area and there is a criminal climate in the territory, as there are also gangs operating in the area that steal the gold extracted by informal miners.

He announced a meeting with representatives of Poderosa, the Judicial Power and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, to discuss the possibility of establishing a police base in the area with the proper logistics and with the presence of prosecutors and judges to deal with the crimes.

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