The anti-terrorism squad of the Colombian police force on Monday arrested the brother of the FARC’s “foreign minister” Rodrigo Granda in Bogota, for allegedly seeking funding for the guerrilla group.
Ruben Dario Granda was arrested along with his wife Elba Mercedes Aranda Urriago. Police say the couple were seeking financial support for the FARC in the Colombian capital. A third person, Carlos Emilio Palacio Gomez, was arrested in Caucasia, Antioquia.
Following the arrests police seized 50 assets belonging to Ruben Dario Granda, which were registered under the names of front men around the country and are estimated to have a total value of over $10 million.
The three detainees will appear before a judge on charges of rebellion, intent to commit a crime and financing terrorism.
The prosecutor general will attempt to establish links between Rodrigo Granda and his brother, to prove the later was seeking financial aid for the Colombian guerrilla organization, reports CMI.
The police’s anti-terrorism squad reportedly caught the trio after an investigation based on information found on the computer of former FARC leader “Raul Reyes,” who died when his camp was bombed in 2008.
Rodrigo Granda was captured at the beginning of 2005 in Venezuela, but was released by the Colombian government in 2007 to help in the humanitarian exchange of political prisoners for FARC hostages, at the request of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. He is still at large and believed to be seeking financing for the FARC.
