Peru sentences four in arms trafficking ring supplying Ecuador, FARC

Peruvian justice has handed down sentences of between 6 and 9 years in prison to four individuals accused of stockpiling weapons stolen from military installations. The prosecution established that these illicit arms were destined for sale in Ecuador, with the ultimate goal of supplying the FARC in Colombia.

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The fiscal accusation maintained that the illicit assets came from activities linked to the illegal trafficking of arms, ammunition, and explosives, as well as criminal association.

The Public Ministry detailed that the convicted individuals were part of a clandestine network focused on acquiring armaments and ammunition from the Peruvian Army. This operation aimed to traffic these weapons to Ecuador for subsequent distribution to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

This conviction underscores Peru's "strategic penal prosecution" policy, which seeks to secure effective sentences against those who integrate assets derived from criminal activities into the financial and economic system. Peru and Ecuador have recently strengthened bilateral security cooperation to combat transnational crime affecting their border regions, including illegal mining and arms trafficking.

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The convicted individuals formed 'a clandestine network dedicated to the stockpiling of armaments and ammunition stolen from installations of the Peruvian Army for their commercialization towards Ecuador and subsequent supply to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)'.

One notable case linked to this issue occurred in February 2024, when an investigation was launched after a Peruvian-origin weapon was reportedly used by assassins in the murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Authorities at the time suspected a network involved in illegal arms trafficking, noting that while AR-15 rifles can be legally imported and sold in Peru, some buyers acquire large quantities and later report them as lost or stolen.

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In Peru, there is a policy of 'strategic penal prosecution' that leads to the obtaining of effective convictions against those who incorporate assets from criminal activities into the financial and economic system.