A startling discovery was made last night by local police in the tourist city of Playa del Carmen, after they stormed a house and captured five people that allegedly had kidnapped and tortured a man. Among their belongings was a list with the names of local and state officers, apparently with the payments they received from this criminal group.
Even though the capture of these alleged kidnappers was made public by the city’s police department, no mention has been made about this supposed “narco-list” of bribed officers.
The storming of a house in the “Villas del Sol” neighborhood of Playa del Carmen happened yesterday, Tuesday, December 7, at approximately 5 in the afternoon, after a man that had been caught by this group and tortured, managed to escape and notify police.
A large number of local police entered this house and captured five people, three men an two women. Strangely, this happened without the aid of state or federal police, or of state prosecutors, as is nearly always the case when a house is raided.
The people inside the house were identified as Mateo, 27 year old; Marco, 34 year old; Pablo, 19 years old; Paulina, 24 yeras old; and Yesi, 41 years old. No last names are given, in accordance with Mexican law.
Also found was a gun, 44 doses of different drugs, a cut off oar and a baseball bat, used for torturing people.
Not mentioned by police officially, but confirmed off-the-record by many officers, is a list containing the names of a large numbe of police officers, from both local and state forces. These officers, mostly women, apparently were receiving steady payments from this criminal group in exchange for protection.
It is unknown if this finding will ever be made public knowledge or even subject of investigation, as corruption is rampant in Playa del Carmen and in the state of Quintana Roo.
Local businesses have long been the target of “protection” rackets, with nearly no complaints filed with authorities, because of fear of these gangs, and of their colusion with law enforcement.
