Colombian President Denounces a Network of Arms Trafficking in the Army

On Tuesday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro reported the discovery of an arms trafficking network within the National Army.

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According to the first results of the investigations, those involved extracted ammunition, weapons, military equipment and explosives from the army to sell them in different countries, such as Haiti.

"For a long time there have been networks -made up of people from the military and civilian forces- engaged in a massive arms trade, using the legal weapons of the Colombian State (...), destined for armed groups in Colombia (...), probably to foreign conflicts, the closest to Haiti (...) and probably also to the international arms smuggling market," the president said at a press conference.

At the Tolemaida air base, there were more than a million losses in terms of grenades and ammunition of different calibers.

On the other hand, at the base of La Guajira, after an inspection on April 1, the loss of missiles, rockets, anti-tank charges, grenades of different types and ammunition was reported.

Petro noted that measures are being taken at military bases throughout the country to prevent the theft of weapons and stated that it is necessary to "separate the public force from any public event".

"The only way is for these types of criminal gangs to be dismantled as soon as possible and it is an order that has been given within our Public Forces, but that, obviously, has relevant investigations in the competent judicial authorities," he said.

"They are mercenaries of violence and greed, and justice must discover their links, committed military chiefs and their national and international contacts," he added.