Colombia: At least 100 bodies found in prison sewer

(Baonghean.vn) - Colombian authorities are investigating the disappearance of at least 100 people after body parts were found in a sewer system under a prison in Bogota, central Colombia.

La Modelo prison in Bogota is one of the largest and most crowded prisons in Colombia. Photo: CNN

The investigation focused on La Modelo prison, one of the largest and most crowded inmates in Colombia. Officials said the plot to dismember people and dump their bodies in sewers had occurred in prisons in other Colombian cities, including Popayan, Bucaramanga and Barranquilla, between 1999 and 2001.

Caterina Heyck Puyana, a prosecutor involved in the case, said the Colombian Attorney General’s Office began investigating the plot behind La Modelo prison several months ago. “Near the end of last year, we began investigating the causes of the mass disappearances in La Modelo prison in Bogota,” Caterina said. The remains of the unfortunate were thrown down pipes in the prison’s sewage system. Identifying the bodies that were found was extremely difficult.

The case is part of an investigation into two former members of paramilitary organizations, Mario Jaimes Mejia, alias “The Baker,” and Alejandro Cardenas Orozco, alias JJ.

Authorities say Jaimes, a former leader of a paramilitary group based in the city of Santander, had a history of bribing prison guards to turn them away while he directed his men to carry out killings.

Both criminals have been serving sentences at La Modelo prison since May 2000 for the kidnapping, torture and rape of journalist Jineth Bedoya, who was then involved in investigating murders, disappearances, arms smuggling and corruption.

According to Jineth Bedoya, the abused journalist, investigating this serious case is not only for herself but also to help reclaim justice for the victims at La Modelo prison in particular and hundreds of innocent people who have been victims of the constant conflicts over the past 5 decades between guerrillas, paramilitary groups, drug trafficking gangs and Colombian security forces.

Huyen Tran

(According to CNN)