How the drop-by-drop loans dismantled in Operation Sirirí operated
In a months-long investigation, Uruguayan police dismantled an illegal lending organization known as " Gota a Gota " in an operation authorities dubbed Sirirí. The operation took place in the border area and brought together various departmental headquarters under the coordination of the Ministry of the Interior.
The operation included 17 simultaneous raids in Artigas, Paysandú, Rivera, and Lavalleja, and resulted in the arrest of 17 people: 14 Colombian nationals and three Uruguayans, all of whom were handed over to the Third Shift Prosecutor's Office in Rivera. The forces also acted with support from INTERPOL and the Directorate of the Republican Guard.
Vehicles, electronic devices, surveillance cameras, diaries with collection records, and advertising materials related to the loans were seized from the properties searched. Police reported the following amounts of money seized: 741,798 Uruguayan pesos, 2,398 Brazilian reals, and $264, in addition to 30 cell phones, eight motorcycles, and other items.
The "gota a gota" phenomenon is characterized by loans to people without access to formal credit, daily payments, and usurious rates that, in practice, often result in coercive practices when the debt is not repaid. According to the investigation, the organization targeted financially vulnerable sectors and recorded its operations in seized notebooks and documents.
Official sources emphasized that the investigation was strategic and multidisciplinary: the General Directorate of Investigations, the Republican Guard, and other agencies participated, in coordination with the prosecutor's office. The gathering of evidence and the sequence of raids were carried out to prevent the loss of funds and secure evidence.
The detainees were placed in custody; authorities indicated that the investigation will continue to identify all those responsible and dismantle any links to other networks. The Prosecutor's Office is investigating both the illegal financing method and possible related crimes arising from the analysis of the seized documentation.
The local impact of these practices is often profound: victims with limited resources are exposed to payment schedules , social pressure, and, in extreme cases, violence. Social organizations and financial prevention specialists warn of the need for credit inclusion programs and information campaigns to prevent people from turning to loan sharks.
From an operational perspective , the forces clarified that work on the border was key: the gang's geographic dispersion required coordination between command posts and the exchange of information with international organizations. INTERPOL provided cooperation to cross-reference data and facilitate the tracking of assets and communications.
In judicial terms, the next steps will include precautionary measures on the seized assets, taking statements from witnesses, and evaluating bank and telephone records. If the evidence confirms the scale of the activity, prosecutors will seek charges for criminal conspiracy, usury, and other economic crimes.
The attack on the network now serves as a precedent in the fight against informal credit schemes and economic violence. Authorities urged citizens to report loan offers outside the formal circuit and promised to continue the investigation until all avenues are exhausted that would allow the organization's complete structure to be identified.
