Police have captured two former FARC guerrillas who were extorting money from local businesses in Colombia’s south-west Putumayo department, Colombian media reported Monday.
After several days of surveillance in Puerto Leguizamo, the national police’s Criminal Investigation Section managed to detain the two men, demobilized FARC members who had been terrorizing the municipality.
Police caught the offenders by simulating a deposit of money which the criminals were trying to extort from a local business, which they had told to hand over $16,000 (COP30 million). At the moment of capture, police seized $203 (COP381,000).
According to authorities, the pair intimidated locals by claiming to be current members of the FARC.
