Ecuador begins mixing seized cocaine with cement to prevent its reuse

MADRID, 8 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Ecuadorian authorities have begun using a method called encapsulation by which they mix cocaine powder with cement to make concrete blocks to prevent its recovery and reuse and quickly destroy this illegal substance.

Cocaine hydrochloride is ground into a powder, mixed with cement, salt, and chemical accelerators to form a slurry that is then poured into molds. After drying, it hardens completely, in such a way that it is impossible to extract the cocaine.

The Undersecretary for Drug Control of the Ministry of the Interior, Edmundo Mera, has explained the method in an interview with the InSight Crime portal and has highlighted that from the beginning of the year and until October 14, 2022, Ecuador had destroyed almost 180 tons of drugs in total, and 61 percent were destroyed using the potting technique.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recommends encapsulation as a viable way to dispose of drugs and toxic materials used in drug processing, but Ecuador is the first country to destroy cocaine on such a large scale with this method. , a UNODC expert on synthetic drugs, Martin Raithelhuber, told InSight Crime.

It is also a quick and much-needed method in Ecuador, where seizures have increased by 42 percent in 2022 alone in the ports. Encapsulation allows the destruction of up to 1,500 kilos of drugs per hour, while incineration is limited to 70 kilos. per hour.