Conflicts & War

Police seize arsenal of weapons from FARC dissidents in southwest Colombia

Bogota, Jan 16 (EFE).- Police confiscated more than three-dozen firearms and other equipment from dissident members of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group in an operation in the southwestern department of Nariño, authorities said Monday.

The weapons seizure is the largest in recent years in the Andean nation, the National Police said.

That institution’s director, Gen. Henry Sanabria, said at a press conference that 33 rifles, an M-60 machine gun, 185 magazines, three handguns, seven improvised grenades and more than 30,000 rounds of ammunition were seized, as well as two satellite telephones and other equipment.

The senior official said police came upon “two vehicles that had been improperly parked on the Pan American Highway,” the main road in southwestern Colombia.

When they were unable to locate the drivers, they conducted a search and found the war material and other supplies, Sanabria said, adding that markings were discovered indicating the weapons belonged to the FARC dissidents’ Western Command Coordinator.

Police also found an armband and other items bearing logos and other identifying features linking them to the FARC dissidents.

The National Police says it seized 15,572 firearms last year and has confiscated 345 thus far in 2023. EFE

jga/mc

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