Around 100 people were detained and robbed by armed and masked men at an illegally operated roadblock in western Colombia, RCN Radio reports.
The roadblock was set up near Santa Fe de Antioquia, a tourist hotspot 30 miles north-west of Medellin.
Among the victims were the mayor, the ombudsman and other local officials of the town of Caicedo. According to Ombudsman Humberto de Jess Manco, jewelry, cell phones, money, and even clothes and shoes were stolen from those traveling on a public bus and in private vehicles.
Manco said that the appearance and actions of the criminals suggested that they were not affiliated with any guerrilla or paramilitary group.
Antioquia’s police commander Jorge Andres Rodriguez Borbon said that investigations are under way to determine the identities of the men.
