Haitian National Police's Arms Stocks: A Leak in the System

As gangs continue to strengthen their arsenal, a United Nations report points to the dubious management of Haitian National Police (PNH) arms stocks, which are said to have become a major source of supply for armed groups. A complex trafficking network, intertwining corruption, diversions, and cross-border complicity.

*A Damning Report*

In its latest report from June 2025, the United Nations Group of Experts warns about the persistent dynamic of arms trafficking in Haiti, a phenomenon fueled by both illicit imports and the diversion of Haitian National Police (PNH) stocks. Despite the imposed embargo, armed gangs continue to increase their firepower and even manage to acquire sophisticated weapons, such as large-caliber rifles and the now-famous “ghost guns,” which are difficult to trace.

The report reveals that the PNH is not spared by this system. In 2024, several of its members were arrested while supplying munitions to gangs, sometimes in complicity with relatives who had access to official arsenals. Two cases illustrate this phenomenon: the arrest, in October 2024, of an officer transporting nearly 2,700 munitions intended for the Kraché Difé gang, and, a few days later, the arrest of a police officer with 2,400 munitions supposedly for the Viv Ansanm coalition. In the latter case, the munitions came directly from the PNH central armory.

*Transnational Corruption*

The diversions are not limited to Haiti. The report also mentions the participation of corrupt Dominican agents in the sale of munitions to Haitian armed groups. A major seizure of 5,000 cartridges in July 2024 in Mirebalais, central Haiti, revealed that these munitions came from the stocks of the Dominican Republic National Police. A large-scale investigation in Dominican territory subsequently revealed the disappearance of over 900,000 munitions from their official warehouses.

The United Nations also highlights the lack of control over private security companies in Haiti and expresses concern about the loopholes related to arms imports by diplomatic missions. The situation is all the more worrying as some embassies, as well as honorary consuls, are reportedly involved in opaque practices facilitating the entry of these weapons into the territory.

While the National Police continues to report regular seizures, particularly in Cité-Soleil where a “ghost gun” was confiscated at the end of 2024, the report suggests that law enforcement still has strategic resources, but also internal flaws that fuel the crisis. Between spectacular seizures and proven complicity, the PNH seems to be playing a double game in this complex war where every munition counts.

The editorial team