RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – At least 183 hectares of marijuana, with an estimated production of 600 tons of the drug, have been destroyed in the last eight days in an operation carried out by Paraguayan and Brazilian authorities.
The operation, dubbed “New Alliance XXXII,” involves about 100 men from the National Secretariat for Drug Control (Senad) and the Brazilian Federal Police.
The local troops are tasked with eradication duties in a forested area of the department of Amambay (east) that borders Brazilian territory, whose federal police support the movement of their Paraguayan counterparts.
The commander of the special unit Senad, Lieutenant Colonel Aldo Pintos, said that the operation began on May 16 and will be completed on May 27.
Pintos estimated that the cost of the marijuana destroyed so far in Paraguay is US$18 million.
However, he pointed out that the final destination is Brazil, which with its more than 212 million inhabitants absorbs most of the marijuana production grown in Paraguay.
Speaking to a group of journalists, the official said that between 80 and 90% of the marijuana grown in Amambay is taken to the neighboring country.
On Tuesday, anti-drug teams from the Senad and members of the Federal Police went to the colony of María Auxiliadora, a rural municipality located about 50 minutes by land from Pedro Juan Caballero, the capital of Amambay.
The military and police actions have also affected the communities of Cadete Calderón and Alpasa.
In two helicopters, uniformed men are headed to plantations hidden in the mountains, which are increasingly being deforested to make way for marijuana plantations.
Under the autumn-darkened sun and on the slopes of small mountains, the uniformed men destroy crops with machetes in daily shifts of about six hours.
Tuesday also saw the burning of two camps, one of which could house at least ten people. So far, 86 such buildings have been destroyed.
The tents were built with plastic roofs protecting some wooden beds. Around them were a small fireplace, handmade equipment for processing leaves and even food left behind.
Pintos acknowledged that the occupants may have escaped or fled because they were alerted by the sound of helicopters.
“Our real task is to destroy all illegal crops and burn all the equipment we can find in the area and, if necessary, catch the perpetrators,” he said.
According to the Senate, 1,022 hectares of marijuana plants and more than 362 tons of the drug have been destroyed nationwide since January this year.
Also so far this year, 2,249 kilos of cocaine with an estimated value of US$15.7 million have been seized, according to Senad statistics.