By Wendy Anders

A 500-strong special police operations force set up by Public Security Minister Gustavo Mata last October has been working hard to make a dent in local illegal drug-related activities.

The Costa Rican police has made over 25,000 illegal drug-related arrests throughout the country since then.

These crimes, which include everything from drug possession and drug dealing to money laundering, can carry prison sentences ranging from eight to 20 years in Costa Rica.

Over the past eight months, in addition to seizing an array of illegal firearms, the special forces also brought in close to 5 million doses of marijuana, almost 40,000 doses of crack, and over 17,00 doses of cocaine; the street value of these illegal drugs is estimated at $5.5 million, stated the ministry’s press office in a progress report on the new program released last week.

Drug hotspots are identified through a mapping system used by police to coordinate actions in high-crime areas known for drug sales and for housing drug hideouts.

Since January alone, the larger Anti-Drug Police (PCD) unit has seized 6.4 tons of cocaine, 2.5 tons of marijuana, almost 850,000 marijuana plants, over 100,000 doses of crack, 33 kilos of heroin, 500 doses of extasis and 70 doses of LSD, the public security ministry reported.

The Judicial Investigative Agency (OIJ), which works closely with police to solve crimes, has a number to receive anonymous reports on suspicious activity, tip-offs, and other information that might help the anti-drug effort: 800-800-0645.

The latest big marijuana bust took place in a large home in Belén, Heredia yesterday morning (see video above) in which two 36-year-old men were arrested, one Dominican and one Nicaraguan. Police found a large, active hydroponic marijuana cultivation set-up that included over 3,000 plants and also about 50 vacuum-packed sacks filled with marijuana, stated the public security press office.