Grupo Terna

Urban Operational Tactical Intelligence Unit

Unidad de Inteligencia Táctica Operativa Urbana
Agency overview
Formed	May 14, 2012
Superseding agency	Special Operations Division
Jurisdiction	Peru
Headquarters	Lima
Employees	10,000 (2014)[1]

The Urban Operational Tactical Intelligence Unit (Spanish: Unidad de Inteligencia Táctica Operativa Urbana), better known as the Grupo Terna, is a specialised unit of the Special Operations Division (better known as the "Green Squadron") of the National Police of Peru.^[2] It consists of police officers dressed in plain clothes, who blend in with criminal areas and intervene against people who commit flagrant crimes, using operational tactical intelligence.^[3]

Its name comes from its method of operations, which usually involves groups of three.^[4]

History

On May 14, 2012, the unit was created, as part of the "Special Operations and Youth at Risk Division – Green Squadron" (Spanish: División de Operaciones Especiales y Jóvenes en Riesgo – Escuadrón Verde), as the new strategy to combat new crime modalities.^[5] The division itself was created on August 16, 2003.

According to an official statement from the Ministry of the Interior, the number of agents in Lima increased from 250 to 2,000, in order to effectively confront common crime, one of the main problems faced by several districts of the city.^[6]

The group was relevant in attending anti-drug operations. In 2024 they made international headlines after an officer dressed up as a teddy bear detained a suspect suspected of drug trafficking.^[7] The teddy bear figure became a symbolic element for those who provide information to people wanted by the police.^[8]

See also

• National Police of Peru

References

1. "Grupo Terna de la Policía tendrá 10 mill efectivos en Lima al final del gobierno". Ministerio del Interior. 2014-10-11. Archived from the original on 2014-12-11.
2. "Compañía "Terna" de la PNP tiene desde hoy 180 efectivos más y cubrirá toda la capital". Presidencia del Consejo de Ministros. 2013-04-15. Archived from the original on 2014-12-10.
3. "CNDDHH alerta malas prácticas policiales en las protestas ciudadanas". Cutivalú. 2020-11-12.
4. Zegarra, Gonzalo (2020-11-14). "Cómo opera el grupo Terna, el escuadrón de policías de civil que causa el repudio de los manifestantes en Perú". Infobae.
5. Caballero Esquivel, Percy Gustavo. Principales problemas del Grupo TERNA en la implementación de acciones operativas en Lima Metropolitana durante el año 2014 (PDF) (Thesis) (in Spanish). Lima: PUCP.
6. "Grupo Terna tendrá dos mil agentes para enfrentar la delincuencia común en Lima". Ministerio del Interior. 2014-09-23.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
7. Paucar, Luis; León, Valeri (2024-02-15). "Un país insólito: video de policía peruano disfrazado de oso en operativo antidrogas da la vuelta al mundo". Infobae.
8. Rojas Berrios, Manuel (2024-02-23). "PNP y la insólita recompensa que ofrece si denuncias la fabricación y comercialización de drogas". Infobae.