Displaying items by tag: Cocaine smuggling

Kenya: At least 99kg of heroin and cocaine worth US$2.3m were destroyed at the Bamburi Cement Mombasa plant, at the request of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Kenya, according to a social media post from the company. Bamburi Cement’s kiln was selected as the most secure method for incinerating the seized narcotics.

“Our kilns co-process waste and convert it into energy, reducing CO₂ emissions and supporting a clean circular economy. We are proud to contribute to this public interest solution that has eliminated a threat posed to our fellow Kenyans,” said Sustainability & Geocycle Director Jane Wangari.

Bamburi Cement has previously collaborated with multi-agency teams to dispose of over 5000t of hazardous waste imported into the country at its Mombasa facility.

Ecuador: Encapsulation in concrete served to destroy 110t of cocaine in Ecuador during the first nine months of 2022. The figure corresponds to 61% of cocaine seized by authorities during the period. Local press reported that the mixed slurry forms strong precast concrete elements, from which the cocaine is impossible to extract. Encapsulation accelerates destruction of the drug by a factor of 20 compared to incineration, with removal rates of up to 1500kg/hr.

Ecuadorian cocaine seizures at ports alone increased by 42% year-on-year throughout 2022, necessitating the operational improvements in disposal methods.