Colombia offers $2.5 mln award for arrest of each former paramilitary leader

BOGOTA. March 10. KAZINFORM Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Monday offered 2.5 million U.S. dollars of award for the arrest of each of the four former rebel group leaders of the United Self-Defenses of Colombia (AUC).

Uribe made the offer for information leading to the arrests of Daniel Rendon alias "Don Mario", Daniel Becerra alias "El Loco Barrera", Luis Calle alias "Comba" and Pedro Guerrero alias "Cuchilla" at a security meeting. Although the AUC was demobilized in 2006, some of its former leaders organized new drug and hit-men cartels. Uribe said that he will also reward for information leading to the capture of guerilla leaders of the National Liberation Army (ELN) and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) living abroad, Kazinform cites Xinhua. Uribe said the meeting was to define a strategy against emerging gangs. "Two years ago there were 4,000 members of emerging gangs. Currently, 2,544 continue committing crimes and 2,497 were detained in two years," Uribe said.