MEXICO CITY, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Mexican armed forces took over security in the southeastern city of Cardenas on Friday amid deepening concerns over alleged ties between local police and drug traffickers.

    Soldiers have arrested Carlos Guzman Correa, chief of the municipal police, together with five other officers who were involved in providing safety umbrella for drug traffickers, according to an official statement by the city's public security department.

    Up to now, at least 200 policemen have been arrested for links with drug trafficking in the state of Tabasco, which touts Cardenas as its second most important city, the statement said.

    Meanwhile, the armed forces also took control of the city's arsenal to check the stored weapons against registration records, local media said.