Colombia arrests 16 guerrillas, crime suspects

Sixteen suspected members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and of criminal gangs were arrested around Colombia on 24-25 October, El Espectador reported, without giving details. The detained were sought for a range of crimes including extortion, criminal conspiracy, homicide and even domestic violence. It was not immediately clear if these included eight suspected associates of the FARC the daily reported as detained on 24 or 25 October in the Tumaco district, in the south-western department of Nariño. They were suspected of syphoning off crude oil from the Transandino pipeline, used by the FARC in activities including drug production. Colombian troops separately found 1.2 tonnes of cocaine in the Caribbean island of San Andrés, inside a container of cooking oil and dog food, El Espectador reported. The daily reported that a day before Colombian and US authorities working together found another 1,100 kilogramms of cocaine on a boat in waters near San Andrés. The two finds were described as having a "market" value of some 68 million USD.