Venezuela: Armed forces make largest marijuana bust in a decade
The armed forces of Venezuela announced what they characterised as the largest marijuana bust of the last ten years in the South American country.
Members of the armed forces on Saturday intercepted a vessel carrying more than 3.1 US tonnes (2.8 metric tonnes) of marijuana, almost 18 pounds (8 kg) of cocaine and extra outboard boat motors off Venezuela's Caribbean coast, said General Domingo Hernández, general commander of the Operational Strategic Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces. He added that the vessel had departed Colombia and was en route to the island of Martinique.
Twelve men travelling on the boat were arrested. Hernández said all are Venezuelans working for the Colombia-based Cartel of the Guajira.
Nearly 6,293 pounds (2,857 kilos) of marijuana were seized from the boat, which lacked identification and had seven extra motors and 33 large storage containers with fuel and a satellite phone.
The arrests and seizure were part of special operations of the armed forces across Venezuela's border. Soldiers in the area have also seized makeshift buildings that store the fuel for airplanes used by drug traffickers who land on nearby illegal runways.
"Since 2012, we saw, this is the most important stash of marijuana, and also, since 2012, we have disabled 305 airplanes, 27 (of them) this year with a lot of intelligence and prevention against micro trafficking and macro trafficking because this is another exponential sum as well," Hernández said.
Hernández and his team showed reporters the drugs, fuel tanks and boat at a beachside campsite in the community of Tiraya set up for the area's special operation. Two large helicopters, military vehicles, tents and dozens of armed soldiers were also at the site.
Hernández said more than 40.2 US tonnes (36.5 metric tonnes) of illegal drugs had been seized so far this year in Venezuela. That's up 29.2 per cent compared to the same period last year.
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