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April 19, 2024 – 05:45
(Keystone-ATS) Cocaine seized in Peru will be encapsulated in concrete blocks, which will then be placed in landfills, the Peruvian Interior Ministry announced Thursday. This process aims to reduce the environmental impact of incineration.
The ministry specifies in a press release that this innovative method “consists of mixing cocaine with cement, salt and chemical accelerators, among other materials, to form solid concrete blocks which make it impossible to extract the prohibited substance” .
“This encapsulation is not only irreversible and less polluting, but also more efficient, making it possible to eliminate around 60 tonnes in 40 hours maximum, whereas today it takes around 80 days” with incineration, adds the press release.
According to the authorities, Peru will be the second country in the region, after Ecuador, to implement this technique, with the support of the American Bureau of International Narcotics (INL).
The Peruvian Interior Ministry incinerated more than 50 tons of drugs in 2023. Peru is one of the largest producers of coca leaves and cocaine in the world, after Colombia.
