MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico’s Navy said on Thursday that seven seamen have been detained and handed over to local judicial authorities for their alleged involvement in kidnapping.

The Navy said in a statement that intelligence sharing with government authorities in Mexico City prompted an internal investigation that led it to uncover the supposed illegal activities.

While gang violence is rampant in certain parts of the country and murders in Mexico are this year on track to reach their highest level since modern records began in 1997, serious crimes involving the navy are rare.