In Venezuela, 33,774,019 kilograms of drugs have been seized in 2,669 proceedings, and 3,558 persons have been detained in connection with crimes typified in the Organic Law on Drugs (LOD) so far in 2020.
This was informed by the head of the National Anti-Drug Office (ONA), G/B Alberto Matheus, during his participation in the «Ojo Avizor» (Watching eye) program, conducted by the Minister of People’s Power for Internal Relations, Justice and Peace (Mpprijp), A/J Carmen Meléndez, and broadcast by TVFanb, TVLara, Radio Lara 107.5, Latina 95.9FM and Radio Miraflores 95.9 FM, at 6:00 pm.
In these radio and TV spaces, he indicated that 26,245.189 kg of seized drugs have been incinerated, in a joint work with the Public Ministry and that 168,520.486 kg of chemical precursors were retained, avoiding their diversion for the illicit manufacture of drugs. He added that the governing body on drug matters also recorded 333 assets seized from criminal organizations.
The head of ONA explained that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) carried out 43 military operations and managed to dismantle 49 laboratories used by Colombian transnationals for the manufacture of cocaine hydrochloride, a few meters from the border with Colombia, specifically in the Jesus Maria Semprun municipality in Zulia state.
Likewise, 15 unauthorized tracks were disabled and destroyed, and two important heads of organizations dedicated to the illicit trafficking of drugs were arrested, as requested with Red Alert by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), as part of the actions of the security agencies that fight against the illicit trafficking of drugs.
Mathews emphasized that the Venezuelan State has been a guarantor in the defense of the air space, implementing actions through the FANB, directed by the Strategic Operational Command (CEOFANB) and the Integral Aerospace Defense Command (Codai), which led to the disqualification of 36 aircraft that were used to send drugs to various international markets from the neighboring country.
«This 2020 we have exceeded in 10% the effectiveness with respect to November 2019, still in pandemic by the COVID-19 and the attacks perpetrated by the American empire, which has tried to attack us using the drug issue as an adverse mechanism against our sovereign anti-drug policies,» added Matheus.
Different operations:
The Brigadier General highlighted different procedures, two of them carried out last November 2 by members of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), who seized 25 bricks of marijuana (14,494 kg) at the Citizen’s Assistance Point (PAC) Jacinto Lara in Lara State, hidden in a double bottom in the bumper of a vehicle.
On the same date, in the PAC «Puntas de Piedras» in Barinas State, were also seized 253 cocaine bricks (281,089 kg), hidden in the floor of a public transportation vehicle, with the help of a canine livestock, resulting in the arrest of a subject.
Also during joint efforts between the GNB and the ONA, 177 bricks of cocaine (133,550 kg) were seized in Merida state, which was being transported by two citizens who were carrying them hidden inside the body and behind the front seats of a vehicle.
In addition to this fight against illicit drug trafficking, the Scientific, Criminal and Criminalistic Investigation Corps also seized 500 bricks of cocaine (558.80 kg) hidden in the walls of a room in a fifth of the Nueva Barcelona residences, El Carmen parish, Simón Bolívar municipality in Barcelona, Anzoátegui state.
It should be noted that since October 26 of this year when the Minister of People’s Power for Justice and Peace (Mpprijp), A/J Carmen
Meléndez, a total of 1,320,366 kg of different drugs have been seized in the national territory, which has represented a hard blow to the illicit drug trade, as announced the ONA in a press release.