Mexico sacks 10% of police force in corruption probe


More officers could face disciplinary action in the wide-ranging crackdown


The federal police force in Mexico says it has sacked almost 10% of its officers this year for corruption, incompetence or links to organised crime.
Commissioner Facundo Rosas said 3,200 officers had been fired.
More than 1,000 others were facing disciplinary action and could also lose their jobs, he added.
None of the officers would be allowed to work in police forces at local, state or federal levels, Mr Rosas said.



Many of those removed are now facing criminal charges,
At a news conference, Mr Rosas said some of the officers had been accused by subordinates of having links to drug cartels in Ciudad Juarez, the country's most violent city.
The commissioner said this was only the first stage of a purge of Mexico's forces.
Soon after taking office, President Felipe Calderon launched an all-out war against the drug cartels.
In many parts of the country he has deployed the army against the traffickers despite the opposition of many of his critics.
But Mr Rosas said the federal police force was also taking part in the drugs war.
He said the ongoing purge was part of a strategy to rid the police of corruption and make its 34,500 officers more reliable, as they were an integral part of the country's security forces.
The war against the drug cartels has left some 25,000 people dead since Mr Calderon came to power in December 2006.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11132589