Badiraguato: Lots and Lots of Opium Gum and Chemicals

Translated by Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Cafenegroportal

July 13, 2018
By: Omar Daniel Baez

Elements of the Secretariat of National Defense , SEDENA, located a stash of illicit substances in the mountain area of the municipality of Badiraguato , where were hidden 139 kilograms of opium gum and 750 grams of heroin and ready for commercialization and transport.

The Command of the 9th Military Zone, reported that the military elements were making a tour in the community of Tameapa, located 25 kilometers from the municipal seat, when they detected a storage and /or processing area / clandestine lab with lots and lots of illicit chemical substances.

Continuing the exploration in the area, they found a few meters away, several containers hidden among the shrubs that had inside the packages of gum of opium .

To extract a kilogram of this drug requires harvesting at least one hectare of poppy, however, a single seed pod can be cut up to three times, depending on the size.

The price of opium gum can vary from 10,000 to 20,000  pesos, depending on the area, the season and the scarcity of the product, so this seizure could represent between 1.3 and 2.7 million pesos. 

( lets say average 2,000,000 P = $100,000 USD )

In the collection center they also secured 750 grams of heroin, inside a plastic bag,  which,  according to the latest report of the UN World Drug Report can reach a price of up to $60,000 USD  dollars.

In addition, they located: 550 liters of acetone, 150 liters of sodium carbonate, 80 liters of acetic anhydride, 8 liters of hydrochloric acid, and another 262 liters of miscellaneous substances distributed in several drums and metal jars of different sizes.

And about 21 kilograms of  other miscellaneous solid substances and white powders in plastic bags, all these products apparently used for the manufacture of synthetic drugs.

Secured :

• Approximately 60 liters of an unknown transparent liquid, distributed in 60 1 liter glass bottles. c / u

• Approximately 150 kilograms of apparently sodium carbonate, distributed in 6 packages of 25 kg. c / u

• Approx. 160 liters. of an unknown liquid, distributed in 8 drums with a capacity of 20 liters. c / u

• Approximately 10 liters of an unknown amber liquid, distributed in 2 drums with a capacity of 20 liters. c / u

• Approximately 20 liters of an unknown amber colored liquid, contained in 1 drum with a capacity of 50 liters.

• Approximately 550 liters of apparently acetone, distributed in 11 drums with a capacity of 50 liters. c / u

• Approximately 8 liters of apparently hydrochloric acid, distributed in 8 glass jars with a capacity of 1 lt. c / u

• Approximately 2 kilograms of an unknown substance, contained in 1 metal can with a label with the label "acetyl chloride".

• Approximately 2 kilograms of an unknown white powder, distributed in 2 plastic bottles with a capacity of 1 kg. c / u., without label.

• Approximately 80 liters of apparently acetic anhydride, distributed in 4 drums with a capacity of 20 liters. c / u

• Approximately 12 liters of an unknown substance, distributed in 3 glass jars with a capacity of 4 liters. c / u

• Approximately 500 grams of an unknown white powder, contained in 1 plastic bottle with a capacity of 1/2 kg.

• Approximately 290 grams of an unknown white powder, contained in 1 plastic bag.

• Approximately 16 kilograms of an unknown white powder, contained in 16 plastic bags with a capacity of 1 kg. c / u

• Approximately 750 grams of a brown substance, with characteristics of heroin in a plastic bag.

Likewise, military personnel intensified the ground reconnaissance in the area, locating in the vicinity of the collection center, hiding in a trough 139 kilograms of opium gum, proceeding to make available to the corresponding authorities the secured drugs and chemicals.