Ecuadorian military intelligence has indicated that a large quantity of weapons, explosives and ammunition are illegally entering Ecuador from Tumbes. In addition, part of this material reaches the hands of criminals, illegal mining and even the armed groups of Colombia.
According to the information presented in the Punto Final program, on January 17 of this year almost 10,000 ammunition were seized in an operation by the Ecuadorian militia in Huaquillas, on the border with Peru.
But the curious thing is that the confiscated cartridges were of the Fame brand, a strategic company of the Peruvian State that supplies the Armed Forces and the National Police of Peru. So, what were ammunition manufactured by the Peruvian Army doing in the hands of criminals in Ecuador?
In addition, of the total ammunition seized, 7,000 were of caliber 5.56, which are not marketable, since they are strictly for police and military use. Also, they are used in assault and war rifles, so there is no way to get them legally.
On October 20, 2022, an Ecuadorian operation arrested 13 people with two rifles, three bulletproof vests, and 1,800 rifle ammunition. Police intelligence determined that the arsenal was entered through the southern border from Peru and without papers.
According to a report by the Ecuadorian Intelligence Command, thousands of explosives, weapons and ammunition of all calibers have passed from our country to Ecuador through Tumbes so far this year.
In this sense, Jorge Chávez Cresta, former Minister of Defense, maintains that these weapons and ammunition have a great possibility that they are coming out of the arsenals of the Peruvian Armed Forces.
In addition, it indicates that 5.56 caliber ammunition is sold on the black market for a very high price compared to several years ago, so it is not unfeasible to think that it is an act of corruption on the part of our institutions.
“About five or 10 years ago each ammunition cartridge cost US$1, today it costs US$10 on the black market. This must be known by intelligence and must take all actions in an operational manner to prevent continued support for drug trafficking, ” underlines.
That said, the northern border would not only be a conduit for migration and smuggling, but also a free pass for arms trafficking.
However, this black market would not only be supplying weapons, since on January 23 in Tulcán, Ecuador’s northern border with Colombia, almost 80,000 capsules of Peruvian-brand explosives were seized.
Then, on March 10, in the Camilo Ponce Enríquez canton, two hours from Tumbes, another arsenal of dynamite and slow fuse was seized, all made in Peru.
The information sent by Ecuadorian intelligence to our country indicates that part of the weapons and ammunition that leave Peru for Ecuador through the northern border in taxis and motorcycle taxis end up in the hands of guerrillas and armed groups in Colombia.
In other words, Ecuador would also be a transit country for ammunition and weapons, of Peruvian origin, to reach the FARC and other Colombian armed groups.
