The terrifying drug cartels and murderous gangs Netflix are paying ex-special ... trends now

Netflix is reportedly spending £1million to protect Holly Willoughby while she films her new show for the streaming platform, Bear Hunt - and with good reason.

Television presenter Holly, 43, and her co-host Bear Grylls, 49, will jet to Costa Rica with 10 celebrities this month for the upcoming adventure show.

It is claimed ex-special forces and former ­military guns for hire have been brought in to protect Holly from drugs gangs and kidnappers while in the Central American country which has seen a massive uptick in gang and drug violence in recent years.

The once peaceful nation saw a record number of homicides in 2023, and a 66 percent increase in murders from 2013 to 2023.

More than 70 percent of the killings have been put down to drug trafficking as local gangs - as well as cartels from Mexico and Colombia - fight for control.

The influence of Mexican drug gangs and increased cocaine output in Colombia pushed murders to record levels last year, casting a shadow over a country that has long been a beacon of stability in the region. 

With authorities struggling to get to grips with the explosion of killings, Costa Rica has even been forced to call on the European Union for help in its battle against the drug trafficking epidemic gripping the country.

Cocaine and fentanyl have flooded the outskirts of the capital of San José, where police spend much of their time hunting for gang leaders.

Locals have spoken of no longer being able to sit outside in the evenings with family, friends and neighbours. Once cocaine started flooding into the country and dealers began competing for territory, it was no longer safe.

Karol Vega told the Los Angeles Times in September that young men have regularly been gunned down in her small fishing village of Chacarita - one while playing football, another while riding his bike, and a third while buying a lottery ticket.

She told the newspaper that her 17-year-old son was later shot in the head.

It is now too dangerous to venture outside at night, she told the publication. 

Pictures from the country in the aftermath of shootings show the bodies of men, gunned down and left in ditches on the side of the road.

It is a stark change from Costa Rica's past, which has long been seen as a beacon of hope in Central America. While other countries have seen civil wars and suffered at the hands of corrupt governments, Costa Rica has remained a thriving democracy.

But for 2023, the country that also famously disbanded its army more than 70 years ago saw 907 homicides, up 38 percent from the previous year.

Known for its eco-tourism and the laid back attitudes of many residents, Costa Rica had already surpassed in September what was its previous record level of murders.

The national homicide rate rose last year to 17.2 for every 100,000 residents, from 12.5 in the previous year, Director of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) Randall Zuniga told a press conference announcing the shocking figures earlier this year.

Authorities have attributed such killings to turf wars fought by gangs for control of lucrative drug trafficking operations in the country.

The rugged, rainforested nation sits on the narrow strip of land that connects North and South America, thus making it a strategic location between producers in South America and consumers in the United States and Europe.

'The trend of settling scores increased to 70 percent, a figure that we had not had before,' said Zuniga, as he pledged to reduce killings in 2024.

The country's San Jose province was most hit by violence with data showing an 86 percent surge in homicides.

The increase in murders reflects a 'complex' scenario, Zuniga said, adding that before 2022 the national murder rate was less than 11 for every 100,000 people, which he considered 'acceptable'. 

In July, Security Minister Mario Zamora told Reuters that the influence of Mexican drug gangs and increased cocaine output in Colombia was to blame.

'We've got a Mexicanization of crime,' Zamora said in an interview with Reuters.

He pointed to increased clashes between gangs in broad daylight that has Costa Ricans worried about both their safety and the impact on tourism, on which the economy heavily depends.

In parts, authorities are seeing violence synonymous with Mexican cartels like torture, gang killings, and assassinations carried out by highly trained hitmen.

Officials say these assassins carry out gruesome killings. Seven people were found in 2023 executed on a ranch. A decapitated body was also found floating in a marsh, and a drug boss was executed while dropping his daughter off at school. 

Meanwhile, the country is experiencing the emergence of a new drug culture. 

Young men ride around on shiny new motorbikes, some wielding rifles, and street vendors sell paintings of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

It is easy to see, therefore, why Netflix has set aside £1million to protect Holly Willoughby, Bear Grylls and the other 10 celebs jetting to Costa Rica this month.

The budget for the show is said to be £10million after the protection budget.

'Netflix are investing huge sums in creating a show which can rival ITV's I'm a Celebrity, by bagging big names and choosing a tropical location,' A TV insider told The Sun newspaper.

'But keeping Holly and everyone fully protected in Costa Rica is the priority. That means hiring specialist teams of guards, many of whom will be ex-military and special forces experts.

'They'll also need specialist vehicles, safe accommodation and a secure location in which to film. That won't be straightforward or cheap in a country which has a very luxurious tourist trade combined with a dangerous underbelly.'

A representative for Ms Willoughby declined to

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