Federal Police destroy 48,000 cannabis plants in Pernambuco

Brazil's Federal Police have raided and destroyed 48,000 cannabis plants and 53,000 seedlings on federally-owned islands on São Francisco river. Operation “White Caracara” was launched last week, but the results were posted Sunday (Feb. 12). No one was arrested.

According to a statement issued by the Federal Police's press office in Pernambuco, the growers were using the islands—which were located in the Orocó, Cabrobó and Ibó municipalities—because as federal properties, they had no individual owners that could be charged.

“Usually no one gets arrested in operations like this, because when you put the full police vehicle and officer operations together on a site, manual laborers are warned and manage to get away,” the note read. “The aim of the operation was to prevent the marijuana from reaching the end market.”

According to Federal Police, if the 48,000 cannabis trees had been harvested and prepared for sale, they would have been enough for 16 tons of pot. Also found were 10 kilos of the plant prepared for sale and consumption, and a rough camp with clothes, a mattress, and even an open-cut watermelon.

Police sent pictures to the press showing the cannabis plants were pulled out and burned. The Federal Police operation was supported by Military Police and the Fire Department.

Eradication

According to the police press office, this has been the first operation to eradicate marijuana in the backlands of Pernambuco state, an economically and socially underdeveloped region.

The total cannabis grows and plants fell in 2016, whereas seizures of the prepared marijuana increased. A total, 359,000 plants, 137,000 seedlings, 151 grows, and 2,188 kilograms of the prepared substance were seized.

Translated by Mayra Borges