Army troops captured one of Colombia’s most wanted criminals on Sunday in the municipality of Huila, reported local news sources.
Herilberto Quevedo Castro was captured in the district of Palacios, thanks to an anonymous source “who decided to collaborate with the police after meeting the criminal on July 14” when they recognized Castro’s face as being one of the area’s 20 most wanted criminals.
Castro is 44 years old, and has been wanted by Colombian authorities for his alleged involvement in a homicide committed on March 23, 1996 in a rural area of Huila.
After the capture, Castro was transferred by helicopter to the Unit of Immediate Reaction (URI) where he will be later meet with officials to testify against his charges.
The person who helped Colombian authorities find Castro will be compensated via a program called “Lunes de Recomprensa” a strategy used by authorities to give incentive to citizens to turn in information about criminals and guerrilla activity.
Army brigade General Henry William Torres Escalante, Commander of the 5th Division, said that within a few days they would pay the community member “who with their valuable information, permitted the capture of the alleged delinquent and contributed to the fact that this type of crime doesn’t go unpunished.”