23 Ocaña and then on to Medellín. They carried merchandise valued at about 70 million pesos. The tradesmen had previously made eight trips transporting merchandise from Cúcuta to Medellín. Every eight days they made a trip; they took about eight days to travel to Medellín and return to Cúcuta. The tradesmen took the alternate route to Medellín trying to avoid Customs and pay very little at the military bases and on the road, so as to make a profit. The witness's brother and the other tradesmen left Ocaña for Medellín on October 4, 1987, in five vehicles: the blue vehicle driven by Antonio, a red 1960 truck, a black taxi, a blue and white jeep, and an orange and white jeep. The witness learned that his brother Antonio had disappeared, because the man who drove the orange and white jeep, who traveled with the tradesmen to a “posada” [inn] and then had to meet up with them again, called him to tell him that the tradesmen had not appeared either in Medellín or at the inn where he had left them. Consequently, they formed a group to go and look for the tradesmen, comprising the witness, his elder brother (Jorge Flórez), his nephew, the alleged victim's father, Israel Pundor, and a brother of the alleged victim, Ángel Barrera. The witness and the other people who began the search for the tradesmen knew the route they had taken, because the witness's elder brother had previously made the journey to Medellín with Antonio and knew they always took the same route. They left Ocaña and went to San Alberto and then on to Barrancabermeja, where they met with some police agents who told them that the tradesmen had passed by. From Barrancabermeja they continued on to Puerto Boyacá. When passing Campo Seco, several members of the guerrilla, who had a checkpoint on the highway, told them that the tradesmen had passed by that point. When they arrived at the Cimitarra Battalion, a soldier told them that he had seen the cars in which the tradesmen were traveling pass by. From Cimitarra they went to Campo Capote, where a teacher informed them that the tradesmen had parked there to make a telephone call; she also told the witness that she had spoken to Antonio. Another man, who had a store in front of the school, also informed the witness that the tradesmen had passed by there. Subsequently, the search group went to the farm of Henry Pérez, but one of the workers warned them not to visit the place because it was dangerous, since it was a zone where “paramilitary” groups were active. The witness and the next of kin of the alleged victims slept near the workers' camp and, the following day, they went to the “El Diamante” farm, which belonged to Henry Pérez. They asked a man who was leaving the farm with several dogs whether he knew anything about the possible whereabouts of their next of kin, but he give them no information, so they went to Puerto Boyacá. In Puerto Boyacá they were detained by several armed men dressed in civilian clothing who described themselves as members of a “self-defense” group, asked for their identity cards, made them get out of the van, and pointed their guns at them. They asked the group where it was going and the witness and his companions answered that they were looking for their next of kin. One of the armed men went to ask his “commander” for instructions. When he returned, he gave them back their identity cards and told them that his “commander” had authorized them to pass. After this incident, the search group went to Nutrias, at the “Y” of Puerto Boyacá; then they took the road to the Pata de Vaca military base and later went “to see the emerald workers.” Since no one provided them with information on the