MEXICO CITY — Four municipal police officers were arrested Saturday in the disappearance of three Italians last heard from more than three weeks ago in western Mexico, and authorities said the agents apparently handed the men over to a criminal gang. “They were asked to hand them over,” Sanchez said, adding that authorities were still investigating why. Sanchez did not name the crime group, but the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel is dominant in the area. The detained officers are suspected of forced disappearance, a crime punishable by 40 to 60 years in prison, Sanchez said. Sanchez said Saturday that authorities were investigating whether other officers in the Tecalitlan area may also have criminal ties.

Source: National Post February 24, 2018 22:41 UTC