Mexican army seize 40 tonnes of marijuana in Jalisco

The Mexican army have slashed and burned tonnes of marijuana during a five-day operation in the state of Jalisco as part of the government's crackdown on cartels.

5:00PM BST 28 Sep 2012

A five-day military operation targeting marijuana growers in the central Mexican state of Jalisco continued on Thursday.

General Gerardo Wolburg said that the operation, which began on Sunday, has so far resulted in the seizure of 40 tonnes of marijuana.

On Thursday alone, soldiers discovered over two tonnes of marijuana hidden in three abandoned ranches.

Some of the marijuana plants discovered by the army were hidden among agave plants to thwart aerial detection efforts.

Approximately 500 Mexican military personnel are currently participating in the operation.

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Mexico is one of the world's top drug producers. According to analysts, marijuana and home-grown synthetic drugs such as heroin and 'meth' together generate more than $10 billion (£6.2bn) in exports for the cartels every year.

Nationally, drug violence has killed more than 55,000 people since former President Felipe Calderon launched an army-led crackdown on drug cartels and organised crime after taking office in late 2006.

Video: Mexican army seize 40 tonnes of marijuana in Jalisco - Telegraph