MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – A gang of suspected kidnappers arrested by Mexican marines had detailed plans of security arrangements for next week’s U.N. climate change talks in Cancun, Milenio newspaper reported yesterday.
The heavily armed men had maps, photographs of the Moon Palace hotel scheduled to host the event, as well as the location of police and army security checkpoints, the paper said on its website.
The men were arrested on Saturday, the navy said in a statement. It did not mention any link to the Cancun climate meeting.
The website showed photographs of seven detainees flanked by masked, armed marines in front of a navy logo. On a table in front of the men were false federal police uniforms, weapons and ammunition.
Environment ministers from almost 200 countries will gather in Cancun from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10 to try to toughen the world’s response to climate change.
Mexico is battling a crime wave touched off by a drug war that has pushed some drug cartels into other crimes such as kidnapping and extortion. Kidnapping is an increasing problem in Mexico where business owners and executives have been targeted along with ordinary people. Security at the climate change meeting is expected to be heavy. Organizers have set up a central checkpoint outside the Moon Palace hotel where delegates seeking access to the venue will first be screened.
