Now Reading: Colombian Army dismantles ten drug trafficking laboratories in Putumayo
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Colombian Army dismantles ten drug trafficking laboratories in Putumayo
Illegal structures operated in a strategic mobility corridor used by FARC dissidents.
Attack on the Comandos de Frontera structure
In a wide-ranging joint operation, troops of the Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats (CONAT) from Colombian National Armyin coordination with the Colombian Aerospace Force and the National Policelocated and destroyed ten illegal laboratories used for the processing of coca base paste in the municipality of Guamuez Valleydepartment of Putumayo.
The clandestine infrastructures were located in areas of dense jungle, specifically in the following villages El Ají, Jordán de Guisia, Limoncito and Los Olivosand were allegedly operated by members of the residual organized armed group. Border CommandsThe FARC, a FARC dissidence that uses these corridors for drug trafficking activities.
Seizures and destruction of infrastructure
During the intervention, the military forces managed to seize a considerable amount of inputs and material related to the production of alkaloids:
- More than 1,900 gallons of liquid supplies
- Nearly 1,500 kilograms of coca leaf in the process of maceration
- 670 kilograms of solid supplies
- 6 buggies
- 5 industrial weights
- 3 rustic presses
The laboratories were destroyed in a manner controlledas part of the environmental and operational safety protocol.
Environmental impact and territorial security
The National Army has warned that the systematic practice of installing improvised structures for drug production has a highly destructive impact on the environmentespecially in jungle areas and close to water sources, due to the indiscriminate use of toxic chemicals.
These actions form part of a sustained military strategy that seeks to neutralizing illicit economiesto curb the actions of the illegal armed groups and to preserving ecosystems affected by drug trafficking.
Permanent commitment
The Colombian Army reaffirms its commitment with the national security and environmental protectionmaintaining operations throughout the territory for dismantle criminal structures and regain control over strategic areas used by drug traffickers.
