WILLEMSTAD – A 23-year-old member of the Curaçao Militia has been sentenced to 60 hours of community service for stealing ammunition during a shooting exercise in Wacawa. The man took 25 cartridges with the intention of selling them.

He was caught when the bullets were discovered hidden in his shoes during an inspection. In total, the Militia was found to be missing 138 rounds of ammunition.

In court, the defendant admitted to the theft and confessed that he planned to sell the ammunition, though he had no concrete buyer in mind.

Prosecutors argued that the young militiaman abused the trust placed in him as a member of the armed forces. They requested a 60-hour community service sentence, with 30 days in prison as a substitute if the hours are not completed.

Judge Carmelia agreed, stressing that Curaçao already faces serious problems with gun violence, and theft of ammunition by military personnel only worsens the situation.

The court imposed the full sentence as requested by the prosecution: 60 hours of unpaid work or, failing that, 30 days in prison. The man has since been dismissed from the Militia.