Authorities in the northern Colombian city of Cartagena closed a hostel where on Monday morning 21 foreign tourists were robbed by armed men.
The local authorities say the Media Luna hostel did not have the necessary permits to operate and lacked the required security measures, newspaper El Tiempo reported on Thursday.
Cartagena police commander Carlos Ramiro Mena told the newspaper that three suspects had been arrested following the robbery and that he suspected hostel staff of complicity in the crime.
The official added that aggressive robberies like Monday’s had not occured in Cartagena for years.
On Wednesday, local newspaper El Universal reported that the victims of the robbery included tourists from France, Venezuela, Argentina and Italy. According to El Tiempo there were also Egyptians, Australians and Americans among the victims.
Cartagena, which, after Bogota, is the country’s most important tourism destination, is facing a upsurge of violence that has taken hold of the city since the beginning of this year.
