Know-how: In Ecuador, construction workers put cocaine in concrete

WORLD – ECUADOR

The huge amount of drugs seized in Ecuador has led to the discovery of an unexpected building material for the South American country – cocaine, Reuters reports. According to police, the amount of drugs seized in Ecuador in 2021 has almost doubled compared to 2020, amounting to more than 210 tons. The bulk of the illicit substances are cocaine.

Construction workers in Ecuador slip cocaine into concrete
Ecuador / Photo by Reuters

Although the volume of seizures in 2022 has fallen slightly, it is still quite high and exceeds the amount of space available in the 27 police warehouses designed to store it.

The record amount of cocaine also exceeds the capacity of the ovens normally used to burn it, Edmundo Mera, undersecretary for drug control at Ecuador’s Ministry of the Interior, told Reuters.

Cocaine as a construction material

Using the so-called encapsulation method, it was decided to crush the seized cocaine briquettes at the recycling plant along with other rubbish and then mix the resulting fine powder with cement, sand and water to create concrete platforms.

Today, hundreds of blocks of cocaine hydrochloride and coca paste seized across Ecuador arrive weekly at a recycling plant on the outskirts of the capital Quito, where they are recycled along with glass, expired medicines and even oil waste.

According to Pablo Ramírez, director of Ecuador’s anti-drug department, it takes about 12 hours to incinerate a tonne of cocaine, while it takes less than three hours to encapsulate the same amount.

“This procedure helps free up police drug collection centres, it is cheaper, takes less time and has no impact on the environment,” said the police officer.

Sources: Reuters / Evening Telegram

Related posts

A third of cars imported to Latvia have twisted odometer readings
LatviaLithuania
A third of cars imported to Latvia have twisted odometer readings

LATVIA – LITHUANIA – NEWS In July, Lithuania is introducing changes to its used car trade regulations, requiring a thorough …

Canada to send 15 Leopard 2 tanks to Latvia
Latvia
Canada to send 15 Leopard 2 tanks to Latvia

LATVIA – NEWS Canada will deploy 15 Leopard 2 tanks with personnel and equipment to Latvia in the next few …

Google has agreed to make payments to users
World
Google has agreed to make payments to users

WORLD – NEWS Google has agreed to pay $23 million to users as part of a court settlement related to …

Australia is developing a laser weapon that destroys tanks
World
Australia is developing a laser weapon that destroys tanks

AUSTRALIA – NEWS QinetiQ Australia has received A$12.9 million (€8 million) to develop a prototype battlefield laser that can destroy …

Scroll to Top