The last few days have seen the arrests of three groups of government officials or soldiers for links with the FARC and neo-paramilitary groups.
Five soldiers of the 4th Brigade have been arrested in Medellin and Ibague for the manufacture, trafficking and possession of arms and ammunition. They are accused of supplying weapons to the guerrillas from military stores in the west and southwest of Colombia. The arrests follow the seizure of 200 grenades and other arms camouflaged in military vehicles in southwest Colombia.
In west Colombia a member of the Prosecutor’s Office, a member of the Navy and nine civilians were arrested for links with the drug trafficking organization “Los Rastrojos.” They are accused of providing information to the illegal armed group about troop movements to control drug trafficking across the Panama border.
In southwest Colombia a human rights prosecutor and a lawyer have been arrested for taking money from the neo-paramilitary group “Los Urabeños”. Prosecutors say they conspired to terminate judicial processes and free prisoners accused of murder and disappearances. They are also accused of taking money from politicians and government officials to suppress investigations into alleged links with illegal armed groups.
