The latest statistics published on November 23 by the the Judicial Investigation Organism (OIJ), have exposed that 825 people have been victims of the recent wave of violence and homicides that the country is experiencing.
The OIJ data also showed that 668 were wounded with a firearm. This means 80% of the homicides in the country are committed with guns.
Although for security experts this behavior is not new, they consider that there is an increase in the use of violence and the type of weapons used, since in most cases crimes are committed with semi-automatic weapons or weapons of illegal use in the country, such as AK-47 or AR-15 rifles coming from drug trafficking and payment for drug trafficking.
According to the deputy director of the OIJ, Michael Soto, more than 300 weapons have been seized so far.
Less than 5% of the firearms used in homicides that entered Costa Rica did so legally. The Directorate General of Armament indicated that normally the weapons used in homicides are not legal and are obtained illegally.
“The State’s intention is to have better controls to have a traceability of the weapon and in that sense, that people who do not have criminal records, either because they are paid or because they are part of a group that has not been reviewed in police records, lend themselves to buy, register and carry the weapon, normally that is what is happening, but it is also happening that there are third parties who cooperate with organized crime groups and lend themselves to register weapons that are then provided to these groups,” said Maria Eugenia Mata, director of armament.
As of 2022, it was established that criminal records, which were previously only required for private security companies, would be included in the requirements.
Mainly AK-47, AR-15, M-16, Uzi, mini Uzi and IMI Galil, which are usually used by police or military groups in Latin America, so it is likely that many of those arriving in the country are stolen or obtained through acts of corruption.
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Ileana Fernandez
