|
Agents seized 12 marijuana
plants, eight kilos of
bud, two kilos of seed,
leaves, stems and four
guns were also
confiscated. /
Judicial Investigation
Organization courtesy photo.
|
A lawyer
arrested on suspicion of
drug sales
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Deputy Prosecutor's office
of the province of Alajuela*
requested before a Judge of the
Criminal Court that
precautionary measures be
ordered against a lawyer with
the last name Cerdas-Salazar,
61, who is suspected of
cultivating, storing, and
supplying marijuana.
According to the case of the
Treasury, the suspect was
arrested on Thursday, during two
raids. One in the house and
office of the accused (same
property), and the other in the
house of the suspect's brother,
located in downtown Alajuela*.
In a coordinated work with the
Judicial Investigation
Organization, the agents seized
12 marijuana plants, eight kilos
of bud, two kilos of seed,
leaves, and stems.
In addition to the drug, "lamps,
fans, electrical, and irrigation
equipment that could have been
used for the cultivation of
marijuana were seized," said the
prosecutor in its report. "An
oven and a kitchen that would be
used for drug processing were
also seized."
According to the judicial
agents, four guns were also
confiscated, an AK-47, a
12-caliber shotgun, a 38-caliber
rifle, and a 22-caliber rifle.
The judicial agents started this
investigation on September 21st
of 2018, apparently, the suspect
was cultivating marijuana on his
property. "That is to be
presumed since then
Cerdas-Salazar gave the drug to
other people as seeds, leaves,
bud, and as an oil."
According to the investigation,
"Cerdas-Salazar only allowed
people he felt were trustworthy
to enter his house to keep his
operation a secret", said the
Prosecutor in its report.
"Apparently, the marijuana and
the oils he had made from it
were not grown only for his own
consumption but also for sale,"
said judicial agents.
The agents confiscated other
equipment that will be
incorporated into the case
against Cerdas-Salazar.
Cerdas-Salazar was taken to the
jail of the Public Ministry
where he was interrogated by
judicial agents. He must wait
until a judge orders pre-trial
measures against him.
Related to the most recent
cases of marijuana crops, as
A.M. Costa Rica previously
reported on August 2nd, the
officers from La Cruz*
station, in the province of
Guanacaste, burned a lot of 44
marijuana plants.
According to the police
report, the case started when
officers responded to an
anonymous complaint, about the
crop. When police arrived at
the location, they found the
plants on a property located
near the border with
Nicaragua.
However, "the owner of the
property is not related to the
crop, because apparently there
were other people who planted
the marijuana on his
property," said the police in
its report. No arrests were
made.
After was received the
authorization from the agents
of the Prosecutor's Office of
Liberia, the officers
proceeded to destroy and burn
the marijuana plants. These
plants "sizes were between 80
centimeters and 1.5 meters,"
said the police said in its
report.
On July 16 police found
310 marijuana plants in Coto Brus*,
in the southern zone of the
country.
According to the police
report, they found the
plants when visiting the site
after responding to an
anonymous complaint.
"The officers arrived at the
site and found plants from 15
centimeters to 1 meter high,"
said the police in its report.
The plants were sown among
coffee plants, to hide them
and then they were constantly
fertilized, said police.
However, the police report
said officers did not find any
people on the property or the
person responsible for
planting the marijuana. No
arrests were made in this
case.
The officers coordinated with
the agents of Coto Brus
Prosecutor's Office for
authorization for the
destruction of the plants.
According to the Coto Brus
prosecutor, the penalty for
planting, trafficking, sale,
storage, or transfer of drugs
is up to 20 years in jail.
On June 17, Border Police
destroyed marijuana found in
the southern zone. In that
case, officials together with
officials of the National
System of Conservation Areas
found and destroyed a
marijuana patch in Piedras
Blancas* in the southern
zone of the country.
The police report added that
the marijuana crop had been
planted in the middle of
cassava, or yuca in Spanish,
and corn to try to hide the
plants.
Officers destroyed and burned
the plants. No suspects were
detained.
--------------------------
What should the authorities do
to reduce the cultivation of
marijuana in Costa
Rica? We would like to
know your thoughts on this
story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
|
|
|
