The family of the Briton assassinated in Mexico have told how they believe they will see no justice over his death as police “are so corrupt out there”.
Just over two weeks on from estate agent Chris Cleave ’s killing his grieving relatives say they have heard nothing from investigators in the popular resort of Playa del Carmen, Cancun.
His brother, Nick has also rubbished reports his sibling was murdered for stopping drug dealers trying to sell cocaine from his properties.
“The police investigation is at a dead end. We’ve not heard anything at all,” he said.
“We’ve been told it is a dead-end from the police’s side of it.
“They are so corrupt out there. The police won’t do anything. Half of them are working for the drugs cartels.
“The two suspected killers who shot Chris are not saying anything and probably don’t know anything.
“Life is so cheap in Mexico. If you want someone killed you pay between a hundred and three hundred pounds.
“The way it works, is the names go out who they want to be killed, they were given the gun and motorbike on the morning and told to look out for a red Audi.”
Property mogul Mr Cleave, originally from Truro, Cornwall, was driving through Playa del Carmen on March 12 in his convertible red car when two men ambushed him.
The killers opened fire through the driver’s side window, hitting the 54-year-old in the head and killing him instantly.
Mr Cleave’s daughter Chloe, 14, was taken to hospital but was not seriously injured.
Two local men have been arrested on suspicion of murder by police probing the murder. They are 30-year-old Jose Guadalupe and Leni Vladamir, who is aged 17.
Local reports said before his death Mr Cleave was threatened along with two other men in a so-called narcomanta - a message left by a local drug cartel on a cloth banner, in an upmarket beach area of Playa del Carmen called Playacar.
The message, written in Spanish and removed by the police soon after it appeared on March 5, said: “This is for you Filipp and Jack from Playacar, with Range Rover and Porsche cars and the secret partners of Bistro Playacar.
“We are coming for you and the sale of your s***. Also for you Chris, with the red Audi.”
Bistro Playacar is a restaurant.
Mr Cleave became a permanent Mexican resident in 2013 and worked as an estate agent and property manager.
But Nick, from Falmouth, told the Mirror any association with drugs was untrue.
“The theory that he was trying to stop people from selling drugs on his properties is rubbish,” he said.
“Chris only had one business partner and he trusted him 100 per cent.
“I know Chris stood up to the cartels over two employees who were being harassed but Chris wasn’t a fighter or a bad man far from it.
“Whether he upset someone on a property deal we really don’t know at the moment.
“But we will get to the bottom of it as a family even if the police can’t.
“We are not bringing Chris’s body home but still deciding on the funeral arrangements.”
Investigators have said they are working on the theory Mr Cleave was targeted for standing up to extortion attempts by a cartel.
They said initial evidence points to his refusal to pay extortion money.
Mr Cleave’s business partner Vitaly Feygin, 57, was assassinated in a similar way as he drove home in March last year.
He too is said to have stood up to the cartels.
Mr Cleave’s daughter is struggling to come to terms with her father’s death.
Nick added: “My mum has spoken to Chloe’s mum and she’s as you would expect really.
“It is good news she is out of hospital but I’ve no idea if she’ll return to the UK at the moment.
“Chloe’s mentally not very good but physically she’s fine.
“It is the trauma basically of witnessing her father being shot but she’s talking a bit.
“Chloe’s getting counselling that’s all in hand.”
Mr Cleave’s family and friends have released a moving six-minute tribute video on YouTube in memory of him.
