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motaman
old hand
Registered: 12/18/02
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Drug lords develop high-yield coca plant
#3063272 - 08/28/04 08:03 PM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh...27/ixworld.html
Drug lords develop high-yield coca plant By Jeremy McDermott in Bogota (Filed: 27/08/2004)
Colombian drug cartels have developed a new strain of coca plant that yields up to four times more cocaine, dealing a setback to a campaign against production of the drug that was beginning to show results.
The new plant was discovered by police during an operation in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Experts pronounced it to be a new strain developed by drugs traffickers.
It is estimated that the traffickers spent ?60 million in research to develop the new plant, crossbreeding strains from Peru with potent Colombian varieties, and using genetic engineering.
While traditional coca plants grow 5ft tall, the new strain grows to more than 10ft. "What we found were not bushes but trees," said Colonel Diego Leon Caicedo of the anti-narcotics police.
Camilo Uribe, a toxicologist who studied the new plants, said: "The yield from this plant is much higher. It produces not only more drugs, but of a higher purity."
The investment to unearth a new strain of coca, the raw material for cocaine, is small compared to the earnings. Traffickers can produce a kilo (2.2lb) of cocaine for less than ?1,500. This will sell in Miami for ?14,000, in London for ?34,000 and in Tokyo for ?50,000.
The widespread introduction of the new coca strain could undermine the efforts of President Alvaro Uribe to win the 40-year civil conflict.
By destroying drug crops, he was hoping to weaken the warring factions, both Marxist guerrillas and Right-wing paramilitaries, who earn more than ?500 million a year between them from the drug trade.
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Young_but_cool
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Registered: 08/16/02
Posts: 1,726
Loc: Old Europe
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Re: Drug lords develop high-yield coca plant [Re: motaman]
#3064557 - 08/29/04 08:40 AM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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Sounds like total bullshit... But if it's true I want one.
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baraka
Registered: 07/15/00
Posts: 10,768
Loc: hyperspace
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Re: Drug lords develop high-yield coca plant [Re: motaman]
#3064998 - 08/29/04 12:12 PM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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4x more might be bs, but look at marijuana. Genetics have definatly getting better with marijuana and making it able to produce higher grades with selective breeding. Why cant this happen with coca. I know absolutley nothing about coco production tho.
-------------------- This is the only time I really feel alive.
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Young_but_cool
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Registered: 08/16/02
Posts: 1,726
Loc: Old Europe
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Re: Drug lords develop high-yield coca plant [Re: baraka]
#3065313 - 08/29/04 01:38 PM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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No marijuana breeders have started dabbeling with genetic engineering though. That comment just showed that the article is a piece of sensationalist crap.
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Tyger
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Registered: 08/29/04
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Re: Drug lords develop high-yield coca plant [Re: motaman]
#3065691 - 08/29/04 03:37 PM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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"traffickers spent ?60 million in research" that's alot of $$$$
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Randolph_Carter
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Re: Drug lords develop high-yield coca plant [Re: Young_but_cool]
#3065756 - 08/29/04 04:03 PM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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Dude, there have been substantiated reports of drug cartels bulding kilo-class deisel subs.... And given that we are talking of a world class organization, with a freakin PILE of money, a lock on one of the most addictive and sought after substances on earth, and over 20 years of a war with American drug enforcement agents, it more than makes sense that they would spend the time and money to recruit a few out of work geneticists, set up a lab, and let them at it.
I mean, hell, i'd LOVE a few of these bad boys.
And the increased output per acre/monetary input would more than justify the expenses.
-------------------- "..all those molecules thrashing their kinky little tails, hot for destiny and the street." Gibson Nuke baby seals for Jesus! (This has been a +1 production.)
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