Thirteen security guards working for a mining company, who were abducted in late April, have been found dead in a mine shaft in Pataz, northern Peru, local media reported on Sunday.
According to Radio Programas del Peru, government sources confirmed the grim discovery in the La Libertad province. Police say the bodies were found bound, blindfolded, and unclothed. They are believed to have been executed by gunfire.
The mining company La Poderosa, which employed the victims as contractors for an artisanal mining operation, blames illegal miners linked to criminal groups for orchestrating the abductions in an ongoing struggle over control of the site.
Families had reported the guards missing on April 27, stating that the captors had demanded a ransom. The company has urged authorities to take swift action based on the complaints filed.