Police burn 13 tonne drug haul worth millions of dollars
The narcotics were seized from various operations since the beginning of the year
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Police have burned 13 tonnes of drugs worth millions of dollars at a dump in Panama.
Footage shows packages of illicit substances being broken up by the authorities using large blades. The huge haul is then set on fire by the officers, who are wearing gas masks to protect themselves from the fumes.
The cache included hundreds of packets of cocaine, marijuana and heroin and it took police hours to break up, stack and destroy them on Tuesday.
The majority of the drugs were thought to be cocaine and were confiscated in numerous anti-narcotic raids throughout the nation since January.
Cartels often use Panama as a corridor to smuggle narcotics through to North America. The country still faces major issues of drugs and people trafficking, along with corruption and great social inequality.
This reputation has dogged the nation for decades, with Secretary of State John Kerry once describing Panama as a "narco-kleptocracy" due to its corruption and cronyism.
According to police, dozens of tonnes of drugs were seized and destroyed last year across the Central American country.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments