MEXICO, Feb 13: In a significant crackdown on criminal activity, authorities in the Mexican resort city of Cancun have apprehended six individuals allegedly involved in a drug gang responsible for the brutal killings of five people. The victims were reportedly hacked to death with a machete, and three bodies were discovered in a shallow grave.

Prosecutors revealed that the gang, accused of engaging in extortion alongside their drug-related activities, operated under the protection of a network involving motorcycle taxis and minors who served as lookouts.

Furthermore, authorities disclosed the arrest of 23 individuals linked to a counterfeit tour agency believed to have served as a front for drug trafficking in Cancun. The suspects purportedly ran a call center where they advertised sports equipment and tour packages to tourists, only to deceive them by failing to deliver the promised goods. It was revealed that the second floor of the facility served as a hub for drug transactions conducted over the phone, with deliveries facilitated by motorcycle.

Additionally, law enforcement detained another suspect in Cancun, allegedly involved in both purchasing drugs via social media platforms and selling them through the same channels, offering home delivery services.

These revelations come in the wake of a tragic incident involving the fatal shooting of an American woman and a Belizean man at a beach club in Tulum, located south of Cancun. Prosecutors emphasized that the American woman was an innocent bystander with no connection to the drug dealer involved in the dispute leading to the shooting.

Authorities highlighted the prevalence of drug-related incidents in Quintana Roo, underscoring previous instances where foreign tourists were inadvertently caught in the crossfire of drug-related violence. Despite safety warnings issued by the US State Department, tourism in Mexico's Caribbean coast, particularly in Cancun, remains popular, with foreign tourists contributing nearly $31 billion to Mexico's economy in 2023 alone.