By Francisco Chirinos, with additional reporting by Carlos Camacho.
At least four containers full of weapons found agents of the Scientific, Criminal and Criminalistic Investigation Corps (Cicpc for its Spanish initials), in the docks, owned and operated by state firm Bolivariana de Puertos (Bolipuertos) in Puerto Cabello in the early hours of this July 1.
As part of the investigation, the local Bolipuertos office has been taken over by the Cicpc. There are reports of “internal complicity,” since all containers have to go under an expensive, Chinese-made, special X-rays machine to ascertain contents. No one has come forward to claim the shipment, sources revealed to El Pitazo.
Dozens of arrests, searches, and seizures took place in Carabobo and neighboring Falcon state only a few weeks ago, in a drugs-trafficking investigation that involved customs’ agents and port facilities.
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During an operation carried out by Cicpc agents (some of which came from Maracaibo, 30 minutes by plane from Puerto Cabello), a first container full of weapons located in the yard 4 of Bolipuertos, approximately at noon on Tuesday, June, 30.
Later, police discovered a second container, and by the morning of Wednesday, July, 1st four containers full of weapons had located. The import license issued through a firm of customs’ agents identified as Abrutzo (or Abruzzo) sources told El Pitazo.
The National Guard also inspected Yard 4 in the Bolipuertos facility to check the weapons, which included rifles, pistols, and ammunition. The head of operations of the customs office in Puerto Cabello, Jose Sanchez, was dismissed in connection with the case on Tuesday, June 30, according to customs sources.
Until 4:00 p.m. this Wednesday, there has been no pronouncement from Bolipuertos or the Seniat tax authority about the discovery of these containers loaded with long weapons.
