Three ex-policemen have been convicted as assassins for their part in a criminal ring that murdered 14 people and hijacked vehicles in a municipality outside of Bogota.
The Former police officers were found guilty of crimes including homicide, kidnapping and conspiracy, local media reported Tuesday.
The prosecutor in the case said the convicted men were part of a 16 person gang made up of five police and 11 civilians based in the municipality of Mosquera, two kilometers outside of Bogota. Two policemen have already been convicted in the case; one is serving a 60 year sentence and the other is awaiting a sentence. Not all of the 11 civilian suspects have been captured.
Romero said the gang used the police to stop vehicles on nearby roads, dismounted the drivers and sold the cargo and the vehicle itself for parts receiving between $4,000 and $6,000.
Bodies of assassinated drivers began appearing in the Bogota river and nearby rural areas and were usually reported as common crimes the report indicates.
The investigation began between June and August 2009 when truck companies began reporting thefts of trucks and disappearances of drivers.
Sentencing for the former cops is set for June 9. They face sentences of between 40 and 60 years.
