MY JOURNEY INTO DRUGS FROM FARMER TO FINAL CARTEL DEALER (FOCUS ROUTE FROM BOGOTA TO VANCOUVER)

In my late 20s,I took alot of time to understand how drugs move from the producer to the final consumer as a drug Lord called the drugs supply chain.

I chose to spend my education vacation in Bogota, Colombia.It was not easy to get friends in that business but I spent close to two weeks visiting various villages from Bogota.On my 13th day,I almost lost hope and that's when,one farmer Haturo, offered me a lift to Bogota.However,after 30min ride in his truck,he received a call that one part of the farm's processing point was burnt by unknown people and so we had to first reach his farm and my quest on drugs begin.

Hutoro had a 200acre farm of cannabis with a 300sqm processing plant but surprisingly with only five works each handling 40 acreage.Much as his plant was partly burnt,fire had already been put out by his fire fighting system installed.He explained to me what he actually goes through to maintain his farm,process the drug and stealthily sells it to different clients in Bogota town at Havadaro Inn.I learnt how he picks the leaves, partially, chops them with a hand electric machine,sprays white powder onto the chopped leaves and then mix with water before squeezing liquid out of them.He later uses cloth to filter this squeezed liquid into different containers and then solidifies it into gold- like blocks by heating.Later he packs these blocks into tightly tied white polythene ready for delivery into Bogota.

I spent an extra week at Hutoro's farm, and then we set off to Havadaro Inn to sell to clients.At the Inn, Hutoro went to the gents with a 100 kg bag to refresh himself, leaving me seated at the roadside table taking coffee.5min later,he returned clad into cowboy's hat and another person joined him on an adjust table.After a few words with his client who looked American from ascent,the bag was exchanged by an brown envelope of cash in dollars.Hutoro asked me to join him as I asked him how much he sold his goods.He tamped my left shoulder and told me,"Giringo,each kilo is valued at $1,600".At this time,we parted with Hutoro handing me a smaller envelope that had $5,000  and I returned to the hotel room.

That night I went out clubbing,but luckily enough,I met one of Hutoro's farm employee I had earlier seen and we entered into a simple conversation.He bluntantly told me that he works at the farm and another warehouse in Bogota on a 3 day alteration.So,he was going to the warehouse early next morning for three days.I requested to visit this warehouse on hesitation but he later accepted since I would only be there for a short time.

At the warehouse,his supervisor allowed me in for only one hour, which I optimally utilised and realized that from Hutoro's products,these guys add in more semi fluid whitish substance creating a new quite different product from Hutoro's.Good thing, before packing,they do Quality Control check to conformity and later pack.I also learnt that this product was to be delivered to town called Cartegena by road but at this time each kilo is valued at $4,000.

I requested Hutoro's employee,to make me reach Cartegena and at this time,he suspected me being a DEA Agent and that's when I convinced him that Iam from Africa ,in my vacation doing research to help me join University showing him my passport and invitation letter to Colombia.At this time,he broke down into tears saying that his daughter Cartaleya died before joining University because of drugs and obliged to offer me any help.We drove steadfast to Cartegena before the other truck from the warehouse arrived.

From Cartegena, the drugs are transported to Port Veracruz in Mexico by sea and a kilo is valued at $8,000.I boarded Morlan ship onto which the drugs were loaded but Hutoro's employee had to return Cartegena.

I also learnt that from Port Veracruz to inland Mexico by road ,a kilo is valued at $ 10,000. However,the product is further refined into a more better quality than previously delivered at Cartegena.

At this time,I saw two familiar faces I had seed before,one the guy who bought from Hutoro while at Havadaro Inn and another,I saw at the warehouse but I ignored since my face looked so innocent but suspicious to them for having been in all places they have previously been to.The person as recipient of the drugs in inland Mexico was waiting at his residence, however,the deliverer of the drugs from Port Veracruz tried to remove 200 grams from the original pack and sell to some people in inland Mexico at the bar, however,the buyer stole these 200grams at gun point and headed off.When the remaining drugs were delivered to the recipient in inland Mexico,they got weight and were less by 200grams and that's when the deliverer was chopped off his head and replaced by another person.

In inland Mexico,local police,DEA agents,cartel agebts, international drug traffickers are the daily people one interacts with and so each word you say counts alot.Children and women are the most custodian of information about what's happening or going on or about to take place in drug business.

We all boarded a bus with the new drug delivery boy from inland Mexico to Sonora before the boarder to Tecate Mexico.But before getting on bus as the driver was checking our tickets,the delivery boy gave him an extra envelope as a bribe to make him cross the boarder.However, Sonora is a check point before the boarder where most DEA agents and local police are stationed.When we arrived at Sonora,the delivery boy was panicky as the driver calmed him down.A DEA Agent entered the bus and asked everyone to get out of the bus with own luggage.As the officer turned to talk to the driver,an envelope was given to the officer by driver and out the officer led us.A sniffer dog was brought to check our luggage bags which we had placed in one location as we stood in line adjacent.When the sniffer dog reach the delivery boy bag,it barked loud and the same Officer who had received a bribe from bus driver,picked wrong bags to check which belonged to a lady as the rest of us were allowed into the bus again.Thus the new drug delivery boy survives.The lady whose bags were checked by DEA Agent was cleared and she too joined us and we all headed for Tecate Mexico boarder.At this point,a kilo is valued at $14,000 an indication that the drugs gain value after every furthest point of destination they reach,so do not wonder why it is so but the risks involved in transporting the drugs safe and to their quality and quantity one has to deliver.

From Tecate Mexico,the drugs were airlifted to miss valley and we followed by road ahead of the private flight delayed schedule.In miss valley,the aircraft landed 45minutes later after our arrival and from here,we were destined to Seattle.However,in miss valley,a kilo is valued at $21,000.

Using the road,we drove to Seattle through Washington DC and here a kilo is valued at $24,000.

In Seattle,we started track of the weather conditions and continued to the United States - Canada boarder by road.At the boarder,alot of risks are involved including, boarder patrol officers with many immigrants.Here,a kilo is valued at  $26,000.

From the United States - Canada boarder,we took skating boards through forests till we found a waiting truck after a tall rocky mountain with long river to Vancouver Canada.

Finally,the drugs delivery boy was taken to the real cartel owner and after his commission was offered post confirming the quality of the drugs.Two days later,he was airlifted back to Cartegena.But on inquiry,a kilo is valued at $34,000.

All in all,alot has to be taken into account,so many people are involved,say, civilians, local police,crossboarder patrols,FBI,DEA agents, flight pilots,ship captains, prostitutes,bar owners, street beggars, immigration officers,drivers, human traffickers, senators, congressmen,ministers,to mention but a few.So this drugs business,can not actually be stopped but tamed to a certain extent globally.However,the more restrictions imposed on drugs are,the more new transaction routes get created and the more it spreads out like a family tree.

I too spent an extra time in Vancouver Canada till I secured my formal Visa back to Uganda.

However,so many people died, looted and detained in different detention centers.

I still recount on my journey from Bogota Colombia to Vancouver Canada

Authored by

Kiiza David Maclaren 

kd.maclaren@gmail.com; +256752943058

Managing Director - Maclaren Engineering Consultancy

27th Aug 2020 at Kampala Uganda