Peru, with support from the United States, will convert cocaine seized from the drug trade into concrete blocks using a process that reduces the environmental impact of burning it, the Interior Ministry reported Thursday.
“Peru will reduce the environmental impact of the combustion of cocaine drugs thanks to an efficient process that it will implement with the support of the Anti-Narcotics Affairs Section (INL) of the United States to encapsulate these substances in concrete blocks.” “That will be stored in landfills “, says a statement from the ministry.
The ministry noted that the innovative method “consists of mixing cocaine and powdered cocaine base paste with, among other things, cement, salt and chemical accelerators to form solid concrete blocks that make it impossible to extract the substance.”
“Such encapsulation, in addition to being irreversible and less harmful to the environment, will make the destruction of cocaine drugs more effective, allowing about 60 tons of these substances to be eliminated in a maximum of 40 hours, while today it takes about 80 days,” the statement added.
According to authorities, Peru will be the second country in the region after Ecuador to use this technique for drug disposal, replacing the incineration carried out regularly in an oven run by the General Directorate against Organized Crime.
The Peruvian Interior Ministry burned more than 50 tons of drugs in 2023.
According to international organizations, Peru is one of the world’s largest producers of coca leaf and cocaine.
AFP
