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Popular Club Was Closed After Violent Attack On A Customer
A popular Cancun nightclub was raided and closed after reports of a violent attack on a customer. The investigation is currently ongoing.
According to multiple reports, the raid was related to an incident that occurred on August 8th. Sources suggest that a man, unnamed at the moment, was treated in a brutal manner by club employees.
Although no precise details have emerged as to why, he was taken from the club, beaten, burned, and thrown into a taxi. The taxi abandoned the man in one of the city’s most dangerous areas. It is unclear if this was where the club asked him to be left or if the taxi driver just dropped him where he saw fit.
One outlet did go into further depth, claiming that the man was taken into the bathroom before his removal from the club. It was suggested that the club employees beat him, before using a blow torch to burn his body in different areas. It is also possible that an ear was severed in the violence. Although he suffered tremendously, there is no suggestion that the victim did not survive the ordeal.
After reports came in, the police immediately began to investigate the club. Photos shown online show them detaining at least thirty employees who are all set to appear before a court to testify as to the events of that night. Police confiscated several items from the club, including what may have been one of the weapons used in the attack. They then closed the nightclub, which remains under police seal.
Information is yet to emerge about the motive surrounding the attack. Speculation could point to involvement with drugs, as the torture of the man suggests a far more intensive relationship. Customers are often ejected from clubs due to fighting or heavy intoxication, but even when they resist, it’s rare to hear of such violence.
Cancun has struggled with a large rise in violence in the past few years. Sadly, the problems are tied directly to the increase in tourism, which fuels the drug trade. Clubs are often one of the main venues for the final purchase of drugs, where gangs have either paid off the establishments for use of their facilities or threatened them with violence to allow them to do so.
While tourists are generally able to avoid the bulk of the violence, problems have gradually crept into the spotlight as gangs compete for valuable territory. The same night as the incident in the club, a shooting took place just a few blocks away.
The homicide rate in Cancun has been alarming, earning it an unwanted spot on a list of the most dangerous cities in the world. The US and Canada have both brought in travel warnings, suggesting that tourists should be extra careful when visiting the region, avoiding walking around at night, and advising them not to leave the hotel zone too often.
Although tourists are generally safe, those visiting Cancun in the near future should practice a higher level of caution. Going to clubs away from the hotel zone could pose a risk of being caught up in the violence between gangs. One particularly brutal night two months ago saw five clubs and bars in Downtown Cancun attacked by gangs, killing at least three people and injuring more than ten. It was reported that no tourists were hurt in the attacks, but a year prior, two females were shot to death in Tulum after a similar scenario broke out in a popular restaurant.
Tourists should avoid taking part in any form of recreational drug use, as this severely increases the likelihood of problems and also risks a lengthy jail sentence.
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