His main rival, former general Otto Perez Molina, who was previously the head of army intelligence, promises to increase the size of the police force by 50% and revive the use of capital punishment.

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He said the size of the police force would be increased by 10% in the next three years to help fight crime, and added that everything was in place to host a successful 2010 football World Cup.

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Mexican officials put the successes down to better intelligence and co-operation with America, plus a fivefold increase in the size of the federal police force (counting officers seconded from the army).

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