Tayabamba (Peru) - After 13 miners were abducted by criminals in Peru , their relatives have to live with a sad certainty. The men were murdered. A notorious boss is said to be responsible for the massacre.

It is a gruesome crime that defies comprehension. The bodies of 13 miners have been found in an abandoned mine in the Peruvian Andes. They were all tied up and had apparently been shot at close range, reports the portal Infobae.

Disturbing pictures posted by the killers on social media show the extent of the brutality. With yellow blindfolds around their heads, the abductees are forced to sit down on a tarpaulin. The killers then shoot them in the head with submachine guns. Other images show how the dead were piled up in a heap, discarded like garbage.

Emergency services report that the men were tortured beforehand, their maltreated bodies bearing clear marks.

A notorious professional criminal is apparently responsible for the gruesome massacre, reports the newspaper"El Comerico". Miguel Rodríguez Díaz, known as "Cuchillo", and his henchmen are said to have kidnapped the innocent miners from a gold mine in the Pataz region on April 26.

The killers were after a ransom. They wanted to extort four million soles, around 100,000 euros, from the mining company Poderosa. But the negotiations failed. They found the bodies on Sunday.

In the meantime, the dead have been taken to the morgue. Relatives are now supposed to help identify the victims. Meanwhile, the boss and his gang are still hiding in the inaccessible mountains.

The latest incident is just one of many. Criminals are constantly attacking mines, trying to take control of them or eliminate competitors. Murder and manslaughter are the order of the day in the province.

But the state is powerless. The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency for the area.