Social media platforms have increasingly transformed into digital storefronts for the illicit purchase and sale of firearms in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, according to local authorities. With regulatory gaps failing to properly control online spaces, the state’s cyber police have sounded the alarm over a massive spike in illegal weapon trafficking.
Bernardo Rodríguez Alamilla, the state’s Attorney General, revealed that platforms like Facebook (specifically Marketplace), Telegram, and WhatsApp are being actively exploited to traffic both short and long-barreled firearms. Statistics from the State Attorney General’s Office (FGEO) show that this cyber-enabled crime has surged by 500 percent over the past year.
Intelligence work and digital monitoring have led to the recent arrest of seven individuals allegedly involved in online arms trafficking. Investigations indicate that these weapons were sold for anywhere between 5,000 and 75,000 pesos, depending on the type and caliber. The lack of stringent filters on open platforms and the relative anonymity provided by encrypted messaging apps have notably fueled these illegal operations.
Authorities have mapped out the highest concentrations of illegal arms offers, pointing primarily to municipalities within the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca. Key hotspots include the corridor formed by Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, Ejutla de Crespo, Ocotlán de Morelos, and Zimatlán de Álvarez, as well as several municipalities surrounding the state capital.
As investigations continue, security forces have pledged to step up cyber-intelligence efforts to track down and dismantle digital networks that weaponize social media to fuel local crime.
Source: https://www.nvinoticias.com
