Two Canadians killed in tourist area near Cancun, Mexico

A hotel south of Playa del Carmen

A Canadian couple was murdered in Playa del Carmen, a resort town near Cancun, in Mexico's most touristic region, local court sources said Monday.

The victims presented neck injuries apparently inflicted by a knife, according to a police report.

A caretaker of their residence, located in the center of Playa del Carmen, was injured, according to the State Prosecutor's Office of Quintana Roo, tourist showcase of Mexico with 12.5 million visitors last year.

In the apartment where the bodies were found, investigators found papers where the man presented three identities, leading authorities to believe he was wanted for fraud.

Police say they don't yet know if the couple live year-round in Playa del Carmen or are just passing through.

On January 21, two Canadians had already been killed and another injured in a shooting that broke out at a hotel complex near Cancun.

Resorts on the Mexican Caribbean coast have been rocked by violence in recent months, some of which has affected foreigners.

In March, a Briton living in Playa del Carmen was shot and killed in broad daylight in his car with his daughter.

On January 26, an Argentinian, manager of a nightclub in Playa del Carmen, was also shot twice in the head.

In October, two young tourists, an Indian and a German, were killed by stray bullets in Tulum, during a shooting attributed to a settling of scores between alleged drug traffickers.

Authorities in Quintana Roo believe that the majority of this violence is the result of the sale of drugs at retail or the extortion practiced on traders by petty traffickers who compete for the market.

Tourism represents 8.5% of the GDP of Mexico, the 15th largest economy in the world.