Agents from the Internal Security Agency burned over 1 tonne of cocaine worth a record sum of about 500 million zloty (about 121 million euro).
The cocaine, confiscated in February and stored in a special treasury, was destroyed in a massive bonfire in a secret location after Polish higher courts made an unprecedented decision to burn the narcotics. Typical procedures require the government to spend large amounts of money to store the drugs in a highly secure warehouse.
“For the sake of the court case, we have saved a few kilogrammes. But, we convinced the courts that storing all of it is a waste of money,” says the Warsaw Prosecutor General, adding that those involved in the arrest still await trial.
The confiscated cocaine amounted to 1,130 kg. Polish special agents were tipped off by the United State Drug Enforcement Agency on a large transport of narcotics being shipped into the country. The tip resulted in Polish Internal Security Agency functionaries arresting three Columbians, a Venezuelan citizen, two Dutch citizens and two Australians. One of the Columbians, who holds Polish citizenship for 10 years, is responsible for trafficking the drugs to Poland and is suspected of being a member of the Columbian Medellin drug cartel.
“Poland is a transport country. Cocaine comes in from America, heroine from Asia, each from a powerful group: the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Chinese triads and cartels all have their people here,” an agent at the Internal Security Agency told the daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. (mmj)