Quito, Apr 13 (IANS): Ecuadorian police have arrested a criminal gang member suspected of carrying out an armed attack earlier this week on a small fishing port that killed nine and injured four others.

In an announcement on Wednesday, President Guillermo Lasso said that security forces arrested a suspect known by alias "Coco", who is a member of "Los Tiguerones", a criminal ring linked to drug trafficking, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The Tiguerones have been identified as the criminal organization that carried out (the attack)," said the presidential office in the video, adding "the search continues".

On Tuesday, a group of 30 hooded men armed with pistols and rifles opened fire indiscriminately on workers and merchants at a seafood warehouse in the port of the northwestern province of Esmeraldas, on the border with Colombia.

Police and the Armed Forces have been deployed across the province to find those responsible for the attack.

Lasso travelled to Esmeraldas and met with relatives of the victims, as well as with military, police and government authorities to discuss the progress of the investigation.

The attack took place amid a state of emergency that the government of Esmeraldas declared in March due to rising crime and violence.