General, colonel smuggled 200+ guns to be drummed out

Santo Domingo.- The Interiorand Police Ministry commission which investigates the smuggling of more than 200 guns from the US on Monday recommendedthat the Defense Ministry place Gen. Cordero Batista and Col. Manuel Guzman on forcedretirement, both charged with heading a corruptmilitary network.

Sources close to theinvestigation quoted by acento.com.do also recommended disciplinary sanctionsagainst five other officers and enlistees who worked at the Armed Forces MilitaryEquipment Dept., during Batista´s administration.

The Interior andPolice Ministry said it had recovered more than 170 Glock 9mm pistols inseveral gun shops in Santiago and Santo Domingo, as well as from people obtainedthem as third party buyers.

The Commissionapproved last week the definitive shuttering of the Heptagon gun shop inSantiago, owned by Guzman, through which he allegedly funneled and marketed thesmuggled weapons.