470 Kilograms of Cocaine Burned

Police authorities, the Public Ministry and the Directorate for the Fight Against Drug Trafficking (DLCN) burned 470 kilograms of cocaine, which were confiscated on August 14th in Arenales, Yoro.

The incineration of the drug took place at 10:00 am at the municipal crematorium, along the road to Olancho, and it had a cost of 106 million Lempiras, according to a spokesman for the National Directorate of Special Investigation Services (DNSE), Alex Madrid.

A large contingent of heavily armed masked policemen accompanied the two vehicles loaded with cocaine, which were marked with the insignia “CHANEL” on each package.

Prior to the incineration of drugs, forensic medicine experts in the presence of a representative of the Supreme Court and officers of the Organized Crime Prosecutor, conducted laboratory testing to confirm that each package had the same degree of purity that they had on the day of seizure.

The laboratory test conducted by Forensics showed the cocaine to be almost 100 percent pure.

After the drug field tests were performed, the police proceeded to open each package with a machete, and when all the contents were ready, poured gasoline over the pile and set them ablaze.

Within minutes, a ball of fire began to burn the 470 kilograms of cocaine, and seconds later a dense cloud of toxic black smoke enveloped the environment and disbursed a strong odor of the hallucinogen. The police were not wearing respirators, which led to dizziness and breathing problems for some, while others appeared to be happy to be near the fire.

“The drug has a cost of 106 million Lempiras, but the important thing here is not the economic value of the cocaine, but the damage prevented to young people who were going to consume the drug,” said Madrid.

THE SEIZURE

On Sunday August 14, 2011 in the community of Limones, Arenales, Yoro, drug police seized 16 bales of the drug, in which the 470 kilograms of cocaine were carefully packed. The drugs were being transported in two cars, after a plane from South America had landed in a clandestine airstrip in the area. The police arrested Elmer Dubón Rodríguez for allegedly driving the car carrying the cocaine.

This is the second time this year that narcotics police have incinerated drugs at the municipal crematorium in the presence of different drug officials and representatives of the media, so that everything is done transparently. Accordiong to Madrid, a total of 617 kilograms of cocaine have been burned so far this year


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