Bogota: Colombia offered USD 10,000 on Wednesday for the capture of the father of an 11-year-old girl in intensive care following emergency surgery to remove 104 cocaine-filled capsules from her stomach.
The unnamed girl, reportedly Colombia`s youngest drug mule, is in hospital under police protection following the surgery in Cali, in western Colombia.
Her plight has shocked and angered many Colombians.
"The police have offered a reward of 20 million pesos (nearly USD 10,000) for the capture of the father," Carlos Molina, a Cali police spokesman, told reporters.
The reward is more than 30 times the minimum monthly wage in Colombia.
The girl, who had 500-600 grams (about 18 ounces) of cocaine inside her, was supposed to have flown to Europe -- probably Spain, authorities say -- after spending the weekend with her father, who is separated from the girl`s mother.
But the child was rushed to hospital before she could take the trip.
Colombia is, along with Peru, is one of the world`s largest producers of cocaine.
