Thieves have stolen up to 30 weapons from a police station armory in Colombia’s capital Bogota.
Bogota police have offered an $8,700 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the individuals involved.
It is believed that at least four thieves were involved. Police are already talking to one suspect.
The exact number of weapons stolen is unknown. Initial reports claimed that 17 pistols and three rifles where stolen. However, it could be as many as 30 in total.
General Humberto Guatibonza cited a discrepancy with the armory’s inventory, leading to the uncertainty regarding the exact number of stolen weapons.
“It could be less, it could be more,” local radio station Santa Fe reported him saying.
Police became aware of the robbery after the patrol in charge of the area failed to respond to a call on the radio.
When other units arrived they discovered the officer in an intoxicated state. He was taken to the hospital for suspected poisoning. It is believed that the thieves drugged him with scopolamine.
The drug, known colloquially as “Devil’s Breath,” appears to have the ability to inhibit a victim’s ability to think for him or herself. It has been a focus of concern for travelers to Colombia after a recent Vice documentary labelled it the “scariest drug in the world.” It is claimed that the drug can be blown in a victim’s face, in powder form, and within minutes the victim loses self-control and becomes highly impressionable.
However, it is still unclear exactly what happened. Authorities have stated that they have to wait for the drugged officer to recover in order to hear his explanation of the events.
This is not the first time that weapons have gone missing related to a poor inventory. In November of last year 100 pistols were discovered missing from a shipment into Colombia. The process at the time was to check the boxes they were shipped in by weight instead of counting the weapons, allowing for a few from each box to be taken without someone noticing.
Sources
- Roban 17 pistolas y 3 fusiles en Escuela de Carabineros de Bogotá (Santa Fe Radio)
- Recompensa de $20 millones ofrece Policía para esclarecer robo de armas en Escuela de Carabineros de Bogotá (Santa Fe Radio)
- Policía ofrece $20 millones de recompensa por información sobre armas robadas en Escuela de Carabineros de Bogotá (RCN News)