Mexico Arrests 32 Cops for Alleged Organized Crime Ties

More than 30 police officers have been arrested in Mexico for alleged organized crime ties and possible involvement in the killing of fellow cops, authorities said Sunday.

Those detained include a former top public safety chief from the town of Tarimbaro, an ex-commander of the same unit and 18 more active duty agents, a public safety source in the troubled state of Michoacan told AFP.

Authorities are investigating whether those taken into custody were involved in the recent murders of three senior officials in Tarimbaro's public safety unit, the source added.

A second operation netted 12 municipal police officers in Charapan, authorities said.

The suspects were transferred to the state capital, Morelia, where they are due to appear before a judge.

Michoacan, on Mexico's Pacific coast, is a key drug trafficking area for United States-bound narcotics.

Some 80,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since 2006.