On Wednesday, February 5th, the San Pedro Police Department conducted the destruction of a significant quantity of drugs by incineration. The substances destroyed included marijuana, crack cocaine, cocaine, and hashish. The operation took place at a location south of San Pedro Town. The drugs had been stored for several months and were the result of concluded cases, as well as items classified as ‘Found Property.’
Police officers escorted vehicles carrying boxes of the illegal substance from the San Pedro Police Station to the designated location shortly after 9AM. Senior Superintendent Alejandro Cowo, the Commander in charge of Region Four, along with Superintendent Egbert Castillo, the Chief of Police at the San Pedro Police Station, oversaw the proper disposal of the drugs. According to Castillo, there were a total of 69 parcels labeled “Found Property” and 157 parcels classified as “court-concluded exhibits,” totaling 30,292 grams of cannabis, 5,705.80 grams of cocaine, and 374.22 grams of crack cocaine, along with 3,651.29 grams of hashish.
Castillo said that before the items were set ablaze, each parcel was carefully documented. “Each parcel was examined and tested before these were destroyed by the forensic analyst,” Castillo said. “This is to confirm that what we are destroying is drugs,” Castillo stated that the island police will continue their diligent efforts to combat any attempts to transport illegal substances into San Pedro. He noted that they have recently collected another significant quantity of drugs that will soon be destroyed, pending approval of their application for destruction from the Commissioner of Police.
Castillo and Regional Commander Cowo emphasized that illegal drugs are a struggle and a never-ending battle. Still, the police department remains committed to addressing this issue to minimize the flow of drugs to the island. Their ultimate goal is to eradicate drug-related problems in San Pedro completely. The first instance of drug destruction on the island took place in November 2019, led by Senior Superintendent Christopher Noble.
Present at the destruction event, alongside the police, were members of the judiciary system, the forensic department, a Justice of the Peace, and representatives from the Government Press Office.
