Peru destroys 15 illegal runways in fight against drug trafficking

Peruvian authorities have destroyed 15 illegal runways in the region known as the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers (Vraem), the joint command of Peru's armed forces announced Thursday.

The official report into the campaign stated that these improvised runaways had been built in the Amazon areas of Cerro Verde, Alto Ene, Sol Naciente, Pampa Alegre and Boca Mantaro, which are home to Peru's largest illicit coca leaf plantations.

"This was a hard blow to delinquent drug traffickers, who are dependent on financing from the Shining Path terrorist group in Vraem," stated the report.

The armed forces have sought to break or weaken the tacit agreement that exists between the Shining Path guerrillas and the coca farmers, as it has made the task of government organizations in the region far harder.

Peruvian authorities are determined to press on with joint operations between the police and the army to dismantle international drug cartels.

The Peruvian government is carrying out a pacification campaign in the troubled Vraem region against guerrilla units and groups linked to drug trafficking.

Peru's remote regions are home to installations processing cocaine and sending it by air and sea to prime drug consumption markets, including the U.S. and Europe. Enditem