CB Online reports that the German government is investigating H&K for some undefined weapon export violations and is preventing the company from exporting weapons to Mexico until the investigation has been concluded.

BERLIN (AP) – Germany’s government has banned weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH from any new arms deliveries to Mexico amid concerns they are ending in parts of the country where Berlin has forbidden weapons exports over human rights issues, according to a letter obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

The letter from the Economy Ministry to the arms manufacturer, dated Jan. 4, says the company’s applications for exports of “weapons and other defense goods” to Mexico are suspended pending the outcome of judicial investigations in Germany.

Heckler & Koch is under investigation by prosecutors for allegedly providing its G36 assault rifle to Mexican police in the states of Chiapas, Chihuahua, Guerrero and Jalisco, where Germany prohibits such exports over alleged human rights violations.

…

Heckler & Koch maintains it did not deliver weapons to those four states, but only to the country’s Mexico City-based central weapons purchasing authority, which is overseen by the Defense Ministry.

“Heckler & Koch has at no point in time delivered to any Mexican states,” the company said in a statement late December.

It sounds to me that the German government suspects that H&K knew where their weapons were headed and were knowingly selling them to a straw buyer. I believe it is the Mexican Army who runs the Mexico City gun distribution center. It seems crazy that they are allowed to export to Mexico, to a central distributor, but that only certain state police can receive them, and others cannot.

[ Many thanks to Tip for emailing me the link. ]