Extortion possible motive of Colombian disco blast: official

BOGOTA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Extortion may have been the motive behind a predawn grenade attack at a popular disco in Caucasia, a town in northwest Colombia's Antioquia state, which left 31 people injured, a local official said on Friday.

Col. Carlos Sierra, Antioquia's police commander, said officials identified a regional drug trafficking ring known as the Clan del Golfo (Gulf Clan) as the perpetrators of the explosion.

"The first (theory) is that the Clan del Golfo is sending a message that it does not want other small-time trafficking groups to operate in this area. And the second, is that this criminal group is extorting the discotheque," Sierra said.

Caucasia Mayor Oscar Suarez told local media authorities have apprehended a man and a woman believed to have lobbed the grenade into the Bora Bora Disco.

"Two alleged suspects were captured at 5 in the morning and one of them is a high-level bandit who has done a lot of damage in our town," said Suarez.

At least 31 people were injured in the explosion, including four minors. Three of the victims sustained serious injuries. Enditem