(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />Colombian troops melted a massive collection of some 40,800 illegal weapons on Tuesday (December 4), one of the biggest weapon melts to take place in the South American country for years.<br/> <br />The majority of the weapons, which included grenade launchers, machine guns and revolvers, were confiscated during the first half of 2012 from the FARC, ELN and paramilitary groups.<br/> <br />Officials said the large-scale destruction sent a blow to criminal organisations by depleting weapon stocks in the country, and highlighted the government's efforts to crack down on illegal activity in a nation that has been plagued by violence for decades.<br/> <br />Due to the large volume, it is estimated that it will take about four days to melt all of the weapons in a plant in Sogamoso, a city in the Boyaca department about 220 kilometres (137 miles) from Bogota.<br/> <br />The steel and iron obtained from the melt will then be used in Colombian infrastructure, ranging from hospital foundations to school columns, according to organisers of the melt.
