42 tonnes of marijuana seized in Paraguay

About 42 tonnes of marijuana has been seized and 24 hectares of cannabis crop destroyed in northern Paraquay's Concepción Department, the country's anti-drug authorities said Thursday.

The anti-drug operation lasted "seven continuous days" till Thursday and was helped by a helicopter from the Paraguayan Air Force, reported Xinhua citing the country's National Anti- Drug Secretariat (Senad).

The operation centered in the zone of Sargento Jose Felix Lopez, where authorities detected "large extensions of marijuana crops and encampments used as cannabis collection and processing centres. "

A total of "24 hectares of marijuana were eradicated, that if harvested, would have provided approximately 72 tonnes of drugs ready for sale," the statement said.

The Senad said it uncovered 43 makeshift camps used to collect and process the plant, which together contained 42,420 kg of cut marijuana.

The operation took out of circulation at least 114 tons of marijuana, representing a financial loss "of some $4 million" to drug traffickers.

The country is considered one of the largest marijuana producers in South America.