Trends Drug Cartels Develop Super-Cocaine Plant

[BA]

Traffickers Spend $140M Producing Strain

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 $140 million Cdn in research to develop the new plant, crossbreeding strains from Peru with potent Colombian varieties, and using genetic engineering.

While traditional coca plants grow 1.5 metres tall, the new strain grows to more than three metres.

"What we found were not bushes, but trees," said Col. 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 of cocaine for less than $3,500.

This will sell in Miami for $33,000, in London for $80,000 and in Tokyo for $120,000 ( all funds in Canadian dollars ).

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 the burgeoning drug crops, Uribe had hoped to weaken the warring factions, both Marxist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries, who earn more than $1.2 billion a year between them from the illicit drug trade.

[Woodman]

<blockquote>Originally posted by brokenarrow_48 on 28 August 2004<hr>
... 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.'' <hr></blockquote>

yyyyeeeeeeehhhaaawwwww!!!</font>

YEAH!!! Now all we need is to edit theyr genetics a lil more so we could grow these new coke plants in out basements under a high pressure sodium light!! <img border="0" src= "smileys/smiley4.gif">

[P4nic]

I love science !!!!!! Specially when they use for things like this. Go for it !!!

[P!MPJU!C3]

Good 4 users bad 4 bussines.



I hate economics but now I know my friends r goin 2 have 2 sell their houses and cars.



Supply goes up, demand stays the same(their is only so much u can use.) What do you get? Low prices.Byebye Porsche

[P4nic]

Here in Europe the price will stay high, they still have to smuggle it, and it's the smuggling that makes the coke expensive.

[Insomnia]

[While traditional coca plants grow 1.5 metres tall, the new strain grows to more than three metres.]

Is it so hard for a (reasonable thinking)cop to come to the idee that the farmers decide how tall a plant is going to be. Would be a pain in the ass for those hardworking farmers if they had to carry a ladder on those steep hills because they could only reach half the plant without it .

Really is another great example of the mass media propaganda, why would you even bother to study the subject of your story if 'experts' (am i the only one curious to know from which american governmental scoutclub these 'experts' have a membership ) claim bla and bla.
I also find it hard to imagine that they spend 140M on developing this strain. A proper laboratorium will cost a few hunderd thousands euro/dollar wathever, correct me if i'm wrong. The hardest would be finding the right gene.
But wouldn't it be a lot more interesting if 'they', instead of modifying the plant, cut out the gene and would reintroduce this gene into a bacterium(which was first made permeable so the gene will go into the cell). Imagine cultures of bacteria wich would synthesize cocaine instead of growing/harvesting/'extracting'. If this ever becomes reality smuggling drugs would get a whole new meaning.

Btw: it can reach a lenght of 30 metres, only i do not think it will be usefull unless you want to harvest an entire forest

[radagast]

Originally Posted by Insomnia

[
I also find it hard to imagine that they spend 140M on developing this strain. A proper laboratorium will cost a few hunderd thousands euro/dollar wathever, correct me if i'm wrong. The hardest would be finding the right gene.
But wouldn't it be a lot more interesting if 'they', instead of modifying the plant, cut out the gene and would reintroduce this gene into a bacterium(which was first made permeable so the gene will go into the cell). Imagine cultures of bacteria wich would synthesize cocaine instead of growing/harvesting/'extracting'.

gobsmacked!