"Narcohamburguesas": they camouflage drugs to sell in schools

In packaging, in flavored filters for tobacco and even in hamburgers, these are some of the methods used by jíbaros – as we know resellers in Colombia and Venezuela – camouflage narcotics that are marketed in student centers throughout the coffee country. This was revealed by the Attorney General's office after the capture of 328 people dedicated to micro-trafficking in 17 cities.

Between the last week of March and the first week of April a joint operation was carried out between the prosecutor's office, the police and the army in at least 17 areas across the national territory, in order to dismantle the organizations dedicated to the distribution of marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine, among other illicit products, especially around educational institutions.

There were 266 search procedures and 18 raids. in the departments of Santander, Tolima, Bolívar, Risaralda, Boyacá, Quindío and Atlántico, which succeeded in impacting 68 colleges and 9 universities from the country. In addition to crises, 328 people were arrestedamong those related to the ELN and FARC dissent.

The method that most attracted the attention of the authorities was detected in Atlántico, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Jíbaros packed cocaine on simulated ballots containing salt and sent home (for orders at the door of the customers) as part of "hamburger combos" to avoid suspicion.

"In this way, the cocaine was delivered with the burgers and the coca was imitated in the salt for the consumption"Attorney General Néstor Humberto Martínez said at a press conference that he would market drugs in Barranquilla and its metropolitan area, with the complicity of taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers, responsible for the distribution of orders.

But food is not the only method used by gangsters to camouflage the drug. They also used candy wrappers and flavor filters for tobacco, in which they hid marijuana cigarettes.. Orders and deliveries were coordinated via WhatsApp or telephone calls, especially by students from Bogotá.

The authorities indicated that they were thus "at the heart of marijuana production, transportation and distribution networks sold in educational environments, drugs disguised as parcels or luggage from Cauca, sent to Boyacá and from there distributed to different departments of the country, "said the Office of the Prosecutor.

The operation highlights the disarticulation of an organization that has committed crimes for more than 10 years in a central area of ​​the capital called "La Pola", surrounded by several universities and, therefore, a set of apartment buildings specially built for student rentals.

The group was located around the Andean University and in the localities of Santafé, La Candelaria and Teusaquillo. Among those captured is their leader, identified as Héctor Jaime Espinosa Vélez, called "James", also related to the ELN's January attack on the Santander General Police Cadet School, south of Bogotá, which left 22 dead and 65 wounded.

"Videos recorded by OTP agents have identified alias" James ", alleged leader of the organization, responsible for storing and marketing marijuana, cocaine and synthetic drugs, often with drugs used for the treatment of psychiatric disorders or veterinary treatments, "says Martinez.

The authorities also indicated that the dissidence of the FARC's sixth front, which has now disappeared, concerned the marijuana crops of a couple of husbands and Karina Julieth Bermeo, aka "Karina", in the village of Tacueyó , in Toribío, in the department of Cauca, in exchange for a charge for grammage.

These three people would be the captains of this region, who also transformed the factory for commercialization, which they distributed in Santander de Quilichao, in the same department.