Amazonas: Mega Cocaine Processing Lab Destroyed in Nieva.

A mega cocaine processing lab in the district of Nieva, Amazonas, was destroyed by the police. The facility, operated by Bolivian and Peruvian drug traffickers, contained approximately 1,452 kilograms of cocaine. Additionally, one person was arrested.

AMAZONAS: The police personnel demolished a mega cocaine processing laboratory in the Amazonian district of Nieva. Within the facility, located in the Nueva Unida village, approximately 1,452 kilograms of cocaine in solution were found. The site consisted of three rustic areas: a kitchen, a sleeping area, and a processing area. Furthermore, a woman named Gloria Huamán Tongo was apprehended.

During the operation, eight plastic drums with a capacity of 50 gallons each, containing 175 kilograms of cocaine per drum, were discovered. Additionally, a pot holding 15 gallons of cocaine in solution, weighing 52 kilograms, was found. Another area revealed 3,686 kilograms of controlled chemical substances, including hydrochloric acid, acetone, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium sulfate, potassium permanganate, and gasoline.

Gloria Huamán Tongo was arrested during the raid. The installation also contained household items and appliances such as microwave ovens, washing machines, electronic scales, hydraulic presses, rectangular molds, dolphin and butterfly logo steel plates. Moreover, there were metal stills, gas cylinders, water pumps, electric power motors, water pumps, and packaging materials for the drugs.

Furthermore, during the police operation, the local residents attempted to prevent access to the area. The drug traffickers fled upon noticing the presence of the police. They left behind a sack containing six brick-shaped packages and a bag with irregularly shaped pieces which, upon testing, were confirmed to be positive for cocaine hydrochloride (31.255 kilograms).

Additionally, a Maverick-brand shotgun was found with eight 12-gauge ammunition rounds, a national identity document, and Bolivian identity cards. A few meters away from the location, the police managed to apprehend a woman identified as Gloria Huamán Tongo (40) as she was attempting to escape from the mega drug laboratory.

In the presence of the anti-drug prosecutor, Ana Lozano Montenegro, the discovered items were destroyed and incinerated. The detained individual, collected samples, communication equipment, and relevant documentation for the investigation were transferred to the anti-drug base in Tarapoto.

Ultimately, this action resulted from a joint operation between the police personnel from the Tactical Anti-Drug Operations Department in Tarapoto and the Division of Maneuvers Against Illicit Drug Trafficking in Huallaga. It prevented the criminal network from trafficking 1,483.255 kilograms of cocaine, which is estimated to be valued at approximately $2,224,882.5.