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| German weapon in action |
Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat
An investigation by the Customs Criminal Office (ZKA) in the German city of Cologne determined that the German arms manufacturer, Heckler and Koch, sent thousands of weapons to Mexico illegally, local media reported.
Those responsible at the company “caused, promoted, or at least authorized” the illegal exports, according to a report from the customs research office as quoted by Süddeutsche Zeitung (German newspaper) in its Friday edition and by the radio broadcasters NDR and WDR.
A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor’s office responsible for the case in Stuttgart (German city) confirmed today that the report was submitted in September 2014 and said that the authorities will decide on the case in the coming months.
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| H&K G36 |
According to the report, Heckler & Koch sold 9,472 type G36 rifles to Mexico between 2003 and 2011, of which 4,767 were sent to the states of Jalisco, Guerrero, Chiapas, and Chihuahua, without official authorization.
The customs investigators suggest that a lawsuit will be brought against five former executives and employees of the company for the violation of the control of war arms and the violation of foreign trade law. They also suggest that the arms manufacturer pay a fine of 3 million euros ($3,371,220 USD), the figure obtained by Heckler & Koch for the illegal sales.
Source: La Jornada