Authorities have arrested the entire staff of a police station in a southwestern Colombian town for extorting local drug traffickers, local media reported Sunday.
According to the reports, the ten policemen stationed in the municipality of Timba, Valle del Cauca, were arrested because they are accused of charging illicit taxes on locally operating drug gangs.
The National Police had constructed the Timba police station to curb the trafficking of cocaine through the area, which has proved crucial for drug gangs trying to move cocaine from the east of Cauca department to the Pacific coast.
According to television station RCN, police investigators sound out about the corrupt practices of the police station after infultrating one of the gangs accused of trafficking drugs through the municipality.
Among the detainees are the local police commander, the deputy commander, a lieutenant, five commissioned policemen and two trainees.
All suspects were immediately charged with drug trafficking, conspiracy and bribery.
