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Municipal police agents in the northern Mexican city of Tijuana have resorted to using slings as weapons after their guns were withdrawn by federal police officials fighting the illegal drug trade in the area.

Around 60 of Tijuana's 2,500 municipal police agents announced the move Wednesday, saying it was a "way of drawing attention" to their situation.

The agents taking part in the protest are carrying slings and around 100 marbles as ammunition. They are mostly deployed in the tourist area of the city, which lies on the border with the United States and is visited by hundreds of citizens from the neighbouring country everyday.

Municipal policemen had their guns withdrawn in early January, at the beginning of the so-called Operation Tijuana against the drug trade. The federal government has characterized the local police force as being troubled by corruption and is examining members' guns for signs of involvement in crimes.

The federal government action against organized crime is being carried out by members of the Army, the Navy, the Federal Police and the attorney general's office.

Tijuana, in the state of Baja California, has a population of around 1.5 million.

© 2007 DPA