Guatemala destroys poppy, marijuana plants worth $780 mn

By IANS/EFE,

Guatemala City : Guatemala has destroyed opium poppy and marijuana plants worth $780 million in the country’s western San Marcos province, an official said.

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Police spokesman Donald Gonzalez said Friday the crops were destroyed in the Ixiguan and Tajumulco municipalities by a joint team of Guatemalan police, military and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. People responsible for the crops have fled the area, he said.

The San Marcos area falls on the border with Mexico and used by drug cartels for poppy cultivation – raw material of heroin. Last year, opium crops worth $1.66 billion were destroyed in the country.