Peru’s National Police has received 12,000 tear gas grenades from Ecuador in response to the protests and riots that have engulfed the country since early December.
These grenades were originally delivered by Peru to Ecuador to respond to protests sparked by economic reforms announced by former president Lenin Moreno on May 19, 2020, reports ‘La Republica’.
The returned material includes 4,400 37-millimeter caliber tear grenades, 1,600 37-millimeter caliber tear grenades, 5,000 12-millimeter cartridges and 1,000 hand grenades.
The consignment was delivered to the border with Ecuador and then transferred to the Tumbes airport, from where a Police Aviation aircraft flew to Lima. There they were sent to the warehouses of the Armament and Ammunition Department of the PNP Police Logistics Division, located in the district of Rimac. The grenades will be distributed in Lima and Peruvian cities as required.
On January 23, the Peruvian National Police made a «very urgent» request for the purchase of 230,000 grenades and tear gas cartridges and other anti-riot material.
The Minister of the Interior, Vicente Romero Fernandez, subsequently announced that he is negotiating the purchase of 100,000 tear gas shells. The Government has allocated 22.9 million soles (almost 5.5 million euros) for the purchase of supplies of anti-riot material, displacements and food for police personnel.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
