Tulum, Q.R. — A group of construction workers from the municipality of Tulum say they were robbed during a vehicle stop last week. The group of workers say their van was stopped by three Tulum officers after leaving work one evening.
According to the affected people, the three municipal police officers who stopped them robbed them of their belongings and the money they had.
The workers, who live in a neighboring Mayan region, said the officers threatened them with arrests if they did not leave the town of Tulum.
“They told us to leave after working so hard all week,” said one of the workers, who showed his face but did not provide his name. The group of around 10 said they travel the same route every day to work in Tulum.
“It is not fair that after working from dawn to dusk they steal from us as if we were criminals. We demand that they return what is ours,” they added.
According to the men, they made a report to 9-1-1 but did not receive a response from municipal authorities. The group said the officers who robbed them should be detained and punished adding that was not the first time they had suffered police abuse.
“We are tired. It should not matter where we come from. We have rights like any other citizen,” said one of the workers. The men have accused a patrol belonging to the Tactical Force “Grupo Jaguar” of abuse of authority.
Earlier this month, authorities began an internal investigation into two Tulum police officers caught on video bribing tourists. The Tulum tourists, reported to be from the U.K., were asked for money (2,000 pesos) in exchange for not being arrested for a minor driving infraction.
