(Reuters) — Prosecutors and police in Peru have launched an investigation into the alleged trafficking of arms by the country’s military, after detecting fraudulent documents and missing grenades at the institution, officials said on Tuesday (September 15).
Defence Minister Jakke Valakivi Minister said the alleged theft of grenades was detected after a preliminary review conducted a few days ago at some army warehouses.
Speaking to media in the Lima, Valakivi said that some soldiers were believed to be part of an arms trafficking network.
“We deeply regret that bad officers are part of a corruption or trafficking network of illicit weapons,” he said.
Valakivi added the full weight of the law will fall on those found to be responsible.
“This is under investigation by the national police and prosecutors and what we’re demanding is that the full weight of the law falls on those responsible for these bad practices,” announced the defense minister.
The investigation comes after 53 war grenades were found last week in a house in a Lima suburb, where they were reportedly sold to criminal gangs who used them to attack and extort civilians, according to local police.
One officer from the country’s bomb squad died trying to deactivate one of the grenades.
