Police have captured a band of armed men responsible for stealing and causing havoc along the Magdalena River, El Colombiano reported Monday.
Following several complaints from citizens of the region, police set up posts along the river in order to block exit points. After a number of hours, police succeeded in intercepting the men at a spot in the river named “Bocas de Champan” (“Mouths of Champagne”).
The band of pirates consisted of over ten men, with most of the members coming from the northern towns of Barranquilla and Magangue.
The pirates initially refused to surrender, instead opening fire on the policemen. In the exchange that followed, one of the band members was killed and four others were captured.
On the boat, police found a range of items including jewelry, laptop computers, money, and cell phones, among other things. The total haul was valued at nearly $16,000 (COP 30,000,000).
During the judicial investigations, the Investigative Group of the Sijin confirmed that the man killed and one of the men arrested had prior registered offenses. Investigators are working to identify the remaining band members.