Firearms, ammunition, and grenades were sent in hidden compartments that were fitted into private vehicles or dispatched as parcels to armed structures operating in the southwest, central, and eastern regions of the country.
The Office of the Attorney General, in coordination with Dijin- National Police dismantled a network accused of obtaining, transporting, and selling firearms and other items for FARC dissidents.
The investigations revealed that there were nine individuals allegedly responsible for devising various camouflage methods in private vehicles to conceal firearms, ammunition, and grenades, and for coordinating shipments to armed groups that operate in Valle del Cauca, Meta, Cauca, Arauca, Guaviare, Nariño, and Norte de Santander.
On other occasion, the items were reportedly sent as parcels through legally established transport companies.
These illicit methods were detected in seven seizures carried out over the past two years in different areas of the country.
The alleged members of the illegal organization were arrested and prosecuted. A prosecutor appointed to the branch office in Cali (Seccional Cali) charged them with aggravated conspiracy to commit a crime; manufacturing, trafficking, and possession of firearms, ammunition for restricted use, for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces, or explosives; and trafficking, manufacturing, or possession of narcotics.
Two of the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges. According to a judicial decision, eight of the defendants must serve a prison sentence.
The decision involves: Hugo Arturo Lesmes Roa, Germán Tolosa Ayala, Omar Humberto Roa Pinzón, Carlos Humberto Benavidez Durán, Guillermo León Zamora González, José Ricardo Virgüez Gómez, Arley Mauricio Ruíz Torres, and Bahiron Camilo Valencia Vega. Meanwhile, a non-custodial sentence was imposed on William Anaya Cifuentes.
The information contained in this press release corresponds to the narration of the objective news provided by the officials in charge of carrying out criminal investigations within the Office of the Attorney General. By the time this communication is disclosed, the legal status of the people mentioned is still pending to be resolved by the competent judicial authority, always