Grenade and cannabis plantation found in Lima avenue

A fragmentation grenade and more than 200 cannabis plants have been found in an avenue in Lima’s La Victoria region.
Municipal gardeners came across the grenade at about 10am, while tending the plants in the central reservation of San Eugenio Avenue. They immediately alerted police, who called specialist officers from the EDEX “bomb squad” division to [...]

Israeli tourist arrested at Lima airport with 5.2 kilos of cocaine

A 27-year-old Israeli citizen identified as Larissa Blick has been arrested at Lima airport as she boarded a flight to
Madrid. She was found to have 5.2 kilos of pure cocaine concealed in her luggage. She admitted that “some friends” had offered her US$3000 to take the suitcase to
Madrid. 
This comes just days after German Marko Vehit [...]

Coca growers may turn away from cocaine and towards biofuel

Peruvian national anti-drugs group Devida has stated that crops such as sugar cane and oil palm, used for making ecologically safe biofuel, may prove an alternative crop to replace coca in the country’s mountains. Although coca can be grown legally in Peru, over 90% of the annual crop is siphoned off for the illegal production [...]

Drug growers may switch from cocaine to cocoa

Coca eradication in Huánuco
The farmers of Huánuco, who have recently been involved in violent civil unrest to protect their right to crow cocaine-precursor crop coca, have requested temporary financial aid from the state while they change over to growing cacao, from which chocolate is made. According to Grover Pango, who represents the government in talks [...]

900,000 opium poppies destroyed in Cajamarca

Counter narcotics police destroyed over 900,000 opium poppies in the highlands of Cajamarca yesterday.  Following a tipoff on their DEA-funded public telephone line, officers from Lima and the local state prosecutor walked six hours from the nearest road to reach the plantation, where the plants were camouflaged amongst maize and quinoa. 
In a total area of [...]

Talks hope to solve Huanuco coca problem

In 90 days the number of maceration pits, or first level cocaine labs, present in Huánuco will be known exactly, according to regional president Jorge Espinoza. The valleys being inspected will be those of Monzón, Puerto Inca, Yanajanca, and Tingo Maria. This is the first decision to come out of talks started yesterday to solve the [...]

German tourist arrested with 16kg of cocaine

A German citizen was arrested on Thursday at Lima’s international airport, as he attempted to board a flight to Madrid with 15.9 kilos pure cocaine, according to local police.
The 30-year-old man, identified as Marko Vehit, had hidden the drugs in shampoo bottles and jam jars in his checked luggage.
He told police that he arrived in [...]

Around Peru

Puno
Local authority inspectors have found that at least 50% of restaurants in the city on the shores of Lake Titicaca do not meet hygiene standards in their food preparation areas. Some of the infractions, even in more expensive and tourist-centered eateries, were said to be “very worrying”.
Under strong pressure from locals, the governor of Collao-Ilave [...]

Today’s police drug haul

Counter-narcotics police in Ayacucho used helicopters to spot two jungle base-cocaine labs, which they raided yesterday.
 The basic chemical facilities were destroyed, along with three tons of dried coca leaf and over 500kg of precursor chemicals such as kerosene and ammonia.
In separate operations, an Argentine woman and a Peruvian man were arrested while trying to leave [...]

Pastor: “Government should have more control in international drug aid”

 
Congressman Aurelio Pastor of the President’s APRA party believes that the State should have more autonomy in its efforts to control drug traffic, particularly in decision making and in the use of foreign aid funds destined for alternative development.
“The problem of coca leaf production demands an integrated solution. The Government should perform this task autonomously [...]