Some 120 people who are suspected of stealing arms and munitions from Colombia’s security forces have been reported to the prosecution, according to the commander of the National Army.
In an interview with W Radio, General Luis Ospina said that the internal investigation was triggered by an attack on the highway between the capital Bogota and the south of the country.
Because this attack was carried out with an army grenade, the National Army began verifying the military stockpile in the Tolemaida base in the Tolima province.
We began to verify with more than 100 people going through the ammunition review in the depots and we were able to determine that there are some gaps… there were inconsistencies and that gave us cause to verify other military bases such as the one in La Guajira.
General Luis Ospina
President Gustavo Petro last week showed the report he received of the arms depot in La Guajira, which showed that hundreds of thousands of bullets, grenades and even missiles were missing.
Colombia’s military lost millions of bullets, grenades and missiles: Petro
Based on those findings, the military reported those who could be involved in the illegal trade in military munitions and weapons to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
“Since the beginning of this investigation, more than 120 people have been brought to the attention of the authorities,” said Ospina.
Over the past five years, military intelligence identified multiple alleged arms trafficking networks in army bases throughout Colombia.
These investigations led to the arrest of tens of allegedly corrupt army officials, who were accused of providing weapons to illegal armed groups.
Colombia’s military investigated over arms trafficking for illegal armed groups
According to Petro, the latest investigation suggests that international arms traffickers have been selling arms that were stolen in Colombia to actors in armed conflicts around the world.
