Up In Smoke: Mexican Soldiers Burn 105-Ton Mountain Of Cannabis Seized

[grace]

These dramatic images show Mexican soldiers wearing gasmasks as they set fire to a 105-ton haul of cannabis seized during a raid in Tijuana.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1322448/Mexican-soldiers-burn-105-ton-mountain-cannabis-seized-drugs-raid.html?ITO=1490

 

With an estimated street value of £215million, the vast haul will have to be burnt over two days to avoid clouds of cannabis smoke affecting local people.

 

The drugs were seized after a shoot-out with drug traffickers and eleven suspects have been arrested.

 

The drugs, wrapped in different colours and labelled with apparently coded phrases and pictures, including cartoon character Homer Simpson.

 

Soldiers, wearing face masks to keep out the pungent smell of marijuana, spent hours stacking the 105-tonne haul and then stood guard as it was destroyed at a military incinerator.

 

They had taken 30 hours to weigh the contraband which was wrapped in 10,000 packages the size of small suitcases and bound for the U.S.

 

Several cartels are thought to have supplied the drugs, hidden in six trailers, five lorries and three vans ready to cross the border from Mexico to the U.S.

 

Each cartel had colour-coded their packages - and named them after famous Mexican sportsmen including a footballer dubbed 'El Pony' or a wrestler called 'El Mil' to distinguish theirs from the rest.

 

Experts say the drugs would have fetched as much as £750 million had it reached the US.

Army chief Alfonso Duarte said: 'We believe this massive strike against drugs trafficking is one of the biggest in Mexico's history and possibly the world.

 

"'It will have a major impact on these criminals, especially their finances.

 

'We're aware these sorts of operations against drug traffickers can provoke revenge attacks but the police and the army are prepared for this. Attack continues to be our best defence.'

Tijuana has long been a key smuggling corridor for illegal drugs headed for the United States.

 

A power struggle between rival cartels led to 844 murders in 2008 in the Pacific Coast city the other side of the border with San Diego, California.

 

There were 2,904 drug-related deaths across Mexico during the first quarter of this year.

Ciudad Juarez led the list with 620 drug-related murders, followed by Culiacan with 193 and Tijuana with 153.

 

The record haul was discovered after police on a routine patrol intercepted a convoy of vehicles escorting a tractor-trailer that had left a warehouse.

 

On some of the drug parcels there were the names of animals, such as bulls and wolves, and on some there were symbols, including arrows.

The colours and the symbols are thought to be indicators as to where the parcels were destined.

 

Although Mexican drug cartels smuggle marijuana from South America, the drug is increasingly produced in Mexico.

 

Cannabis production in Mexico increased 35 per cent to 12,000 hectares (29,652 acres) in 2009, from 8,900 hectares (21,991 acres) the previous year, according to the U.S. State Department's 2010 International Narcotics Control report.

The report attributed the increase to drug cartel efforts to 'diminish reliance on foreign suppliers'.

 

The seizure marks a big break through against the cartels in the ongoing drug war in Mexico that has claimed 28,000 lives since 2006.

 

President Felipe Calderon, who recently visited Tijuana, launched the nationwide crackdown four years ago, deploying some 50,000 troops.

 

Last week, in the wake of President Calderon's visit, several bodies were found beheaded and hanging from bridges in Tijuana, leading to fears that the cartels were resuming brutal tactics to send a message that the government is not in control.

 

Author: Gerard Couzens

Date: 21 October 2010

Source: Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1322448/Mexican-soldiers-burn-105-ton-mountain-cannabis-seized-drugs-raid.html?ITO=1490

[Azpohsht]

you know i'm all for killing killers and evil drug dealers but burning 105 tonnes of cannabis seems like a massive waste.

 

Couldn't the authorities examine the weed and redistribute it to the weed depots?

 

You could actually swim in that much choof and get high i reckon.

 

Azpo.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Azpohsht

[The Hash Nibbler]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:crybaby: :crybaby: Stupid Mexicans, wait till they find out they could of smoked it instead of setting fire to it. Gh72

[Syb3 rm3nt41_%20]

, the govt will still claim they have just been victorious when infact .... the ammount that was seized would barely cover cali for more than a few days ... winning the drug war? bullshit.

 

Peace n pot.

[sew850i]

wtf? other sources are saying 134 tons.. 29 tons are either non existent, or missing..

[Burnz]

How would that only be enough for a few days in cali? That would last Australia nearly a year...

[AvaDGardner]

Wouldnt you like to be standing downwind of that.Probably brick weed anyway.Mexico is famous for it.

[Syb3 rm3nt41_%20]

How would that only be enough for a few days in cali? That would last Australia nearly a year...

 

ermm, statistics state that 17.93% of the australian population are stoners, if every stoner ONLY smoked 1 measly oz an entire year .... 112.952 tonnes a year.... estimates of how much the majority of stoners smoke is estimated at 2grams a day though (statistics).... at this rate ... somebody that smokes 5 days a week 2 grams a day 40grams a month and 480grams a year may still be extremely high figures (not in my circle of friends though, 40grams a fortnight is more realistic), so lets half the figure for the bare minimum of oz's consumption of cannabis ..... ..... 17.93% of a population of 22.5 million that smokes 240grams a year (4015672 people x 240g's) means that 963761280 grams is consumed minimum .... - 963tonnes... it is most likely closer to double that though .... as stated above ... - 1926 tonnes .... obviously its impossible to make an accurate estimation, but my statement was clearly overexagerated ... regardless, it would not last australia a month ... most likely, regardless, my point was that it will continue to grow regardless of laws and regardless of the drug busts ... they are losing the 'war on drugs' .... its funny really the statement itself says that there is a war and if they claim to be losing the war on drugs like they do .... that those that use drugs are winning the war ... that says a lot about 'the man' ... My take on cannabis as a drug is simple, if it is to be deemed a drug, so should coffee, sugar and anything else that alters ones consciousness/state of being or physiology..

 

Peace'

[darryl d]

Army chief Alfonso Duarte said: 'We believe this massive strike against drugs trafficking is one of the biggest in Mexico's history and possibly the world.

 

"'It will have a major impact on these criminals, especially their finances.

 

'We're aware these sorts of operations against drug traffickers can provoke revenge attacks but the police and the army are prepared for this. Attack continues to be our best defence.'

Tijuana has long been a key smuggling corridor for illegal drugs headed for the United States.

 

A power struggle between rival cartels led to 844 murders in 2008 in the Pacific Coast city the other side of the border with San Diego, California.

 

There were 2,904 drug-related deaths across Mexico during the first quarter of this year.

Ciudad Juarez led the list with 620 drug-related murders, followed by Culiacan with 193 and Tijuana with 153.

 

 

I bet if it was his family that was murdered he wouldn't be so enthusiastic.

3000 people dead in the 1st quarter of the year. You poor dumb stupid gringo U.S. puppet