147 suspected members of drug ring held in Colombia
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BOGOTA, COLOMBIA — Colombian police said Monday that they had arrested 147 people suspected of working for a major cocaine-smuggling ring believed to be linked to a paramilitary warlord who awaits extradition to the United States.
Gen. Orlando Paez, who carried out a weekend raid on three jungle camps where the arrests took place, said the group was commanded by Carlos Mario Jimenez, who is held on a frigate off Colombia’s Atlantic coast.
“The 147 people we captured were dedicated to drug trafficking,” Paez said. “Some took care of the processing complex, others were involved in logistics, others sent the drug and some bribed farmers in the region.”
Among those captured were 23 former right-wing fighters.
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