National Police destroys obsolete munitions

Public Security Ministry experts on Wednesday ended the second phase of the Destruction of Obsolete and Dilapidated Munitions Program with a ceremony in San José, in which an act was signed declaring that the operations were conducted in accordance with international standards.

During this phase, 301,386 munitions of various types and calibers, including more than 9,000 tear gas devices, were destroyed in 107 explosions and five open-air incinerations, according to local sources.

The program was executed by members of the National Police, with training, technical, logistical, financial and certification assistance from the Arms Control and Munitions Destruction program of the Organization of American States (OAS).

The OAS program has supported the efforts of Costa Rica in this matter since March 2011, when an agreement on cooperation and technical assistance was signed by the Public Security Ministry and the OAS General Secretariat.

Since then, the OAS has supported the destruction of more than 900,000 munitions, as well as the destruction of discarded and confiscated weapons.