Peruvian media reported Tuesday that over 1,000 rifles originally belonging to the country’s air force were sold to Colombian guerrilla group the FARC in 2004.
A congressional committee in Peru will investigate the claims and plan to question Peru’s air force (FAP) commander and intelligence director. The case was only brought to Peruvian officials’ attention in 2011 when the Colombian consulate asked about guns found in FARC hands that matched the serial numbers of the Peruvian guns.
“We want to make known what happened and, as the second item, we want the Intelligence Directorate of the FAP to report what actions have been taken to prevent acts of corruption,” said Congresswoman Anna Maria Solorzano, chair of the Peruvian commission investigating the allegations, to news agency Andina. “We cannot understand how a weapon in good condition that was documented as a disused rifle could appear in another country. It seems a very serious allegation,” she added.
Colombia and Peru have joined forces before to combat the spread of the FARC’s presence in South America, launching a joint operation in 2011 aimed at eliminating FARC strongholds near the two country’s border region.