A Colombian police officer stands guard over eight tons of seized cocaine in Turbo, Antioquia, on Sunday. General Jorge Nieto, the head of the Colombian police, said the seized cocaine belonged to the Usuga clan. Photo: AFP

The man Colombia describes as the world's most dangerous drug trafficker told security forces: "You beat me" when he was captured during an operation this weekend, the government said on Sunday, pledging to extradite him swiftly to the US.

Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as Otoniel, was caught by Colombia's armed forces during an operation in a rural area of Colombia's Uraba region, Antioquia province, which involved more than 500 members of Colombia's special forces and 22 helicopters, officials said on Saturday.

Otoniel is accused of exporting hundreds of tons of cocaine each year, while President Ivan Duque said on Saturday he is also responsible for killing police officers, recruiting minors and sexually abusing children.

Colombia's government will file a petition on Monday with the Andean country's Supreme Court to extradite Otoniel to the US, Justice Minister Wilson Ruiz told Reuters on Sunday, adding the process could take four weeks to complete.

"Extradition awaits all those who commit international crimes," Defense Minister Diego Molano told journalists in Necocli, close to where Otoniel, 50, was captured.

Colombia had offered a reward of up to 3 billion pesos (about $800,000) for information concerning Otoniel's whereabouts.

Both rewards will be paid, Molano said, while describing Otoniel as "the worst kind" of criminal.

Otoniel rose to become the leader of the drug-trafficking group Clan del Golfo, or Gulf Clan, following stints as a left-wing guerrilla and later as a paramilitary.

The Clan del Golfo has a presence in 12 of Colombia's 32 provinces, and counts some 3,800 members, according to information provided by Colombia's national police. 

Clan del Golfo is involved as well with illegal mining, authorities say. The government also accuses the group of threatening and killing community leaders across the country.

Colombia's police chief, General Jorge Vargas, said much of the information leading to Otoniel's capture came from Clan del Golfo members.

Reuters