More than 100 weapons missing from San Juan Police under judicial investigation
Judicial and provincial authorities are investigating the disappearance of more than 100 weapons from the San Juan Police, detected following an anti-narcotic operation in Salta.
Judicial and administrative investigation into more than 100 missing weapons from the San Juan Police
The disappearance of more than 100 weapons belonging to the San Juan provincial Police is now under judicial and administrative investigation, according to canal13sanjuan.com. Damián Villavicencio, under-secretary of Management and Control, confirmed that authorities filed a report with the Special Crimes Unit (UFI Delitos Especiales) and simultaneously opened an administrative inquiry to determine what happened.
"The corresponding report was already made to the Special Crimes Unit and in parallel the administrative investigation was initiated," Villavicencio said in radio statements. The official specified that an inventory of weapons allowed authorities to establish the absence of a considerable quantity of items. "More than 100 weapons are missing," he stated. The data collected was handed over to judicial authorities to proceed with whatever measures they deem appropriate.
Twenty-five officers under investigation
The administrative inquiry aims to reconstruct how weapons were handled and monitored during the period under review, and to determine whether irregularities existed. The procedure involves approximately 25 officers who had dealings with the Weapons Division. "All of them, around 25, were notified that they are being investigated," Villavicencio explained.
The under-secretary clarified that the investigation is in an early stage and that, so far, no individual responsibilities have been established. Early in the week, Security Secretary Enrique Delgado had anticipated that the case was already in the hands of judicial authorities, following a report filed by the Security department.
How the shortage came to light
The case was detected following a police operation in Salta, as part of an investigation into drug trafficking. During the procedure, officers from that province found a 9-millimetre pistol which, upon verifying its origin, was registered as property of the San Juan Police.
That discovery prompted initial inquiries to establish how the weapon had come into the hands of someone outside the institution, and whether similar cases existed. From there, San Juan authorities proceeded with a general inventory of weapons assigned to police personnel.
As part of the control, each officer had to declare what weapon was in their charge, along with the model and serial number. The information was cross-checked against official records to detect differences between the formal inventory and the weapons actually available.
Pistols purchased in August 2022
The review focused on a batch of pistols bought in August 2022. In the early stages of the case, suspicions pointed to approximately 150 weapons possibly missing from that purchase; the figure confirmed so far exceeds 100 units.
For the moment, the judicial report filed with the Special Crimes Unit and the administrative inquiry against personnel to be determined constitute the main measures adopted. No individual charges have been formally brought.
Source: Google News PR — San Juan