The Royal Cayman Islands Police burned more than 1,000 pounds of seized ganja at the George Town Landfill yesterday.
Detective Sergeant Gillard McLaughlin oversaw the controlled burn along with other police officers.
RCIP maintenance man Quiznell McLaughlin, left, and Detective Constable Brown turn over smouldering ganja to aid in the burning process during a controlled burn of seized drugs at the George Town Landfill yesterday. |
Even though they stood upwind of the fire, many officers wore masks to prevent feeling the effects of the smoke.
‘We started at 8:05 this morning,’ said DS McLaughlin, noting that the police would remain at the burn site into the afternoon until all the matter burned down.
DS McLaughlin said the police burn ganja seized in arrests immediately after any court proceedings are finished.
‘The burn is witnessed by a Justice of the Peace,’ he said.
This was the first burn since Hurricane Ivan, DS McLaughlin said.
In the past, the ganja burn was conducted in the landfill incinerator, but it is no longer operational the Detective Sergeant said.
Instead the ganja was burned in two metal containers, which were open at the top and on one side.
‘This is the first time we’ve used this method, so there’s a little trial and error,’ DS McLaughlin said. ‘It’s somewhat of a process.’
First old tires were put on the bottom of the containers so air could get underneath the ganja,
The ganja came mostly in compacted bricks, which had to be broken up before being placed atop the tires.
Then diesel fuel was poured over the ganja and the piles ignited.
An RCIP maintenance man and other officers took turns turning the smouldering ganja over with rakes attached to long poles to aid the burning process.
Ganja smoke clouds billowed from the two containers, but DS McLaughlin said the clouds would dissipate before they could affect Grand Cayman residents.
Rex Crighton was the JP that witnessed the burn in an official capacity, the first time he has ever done so.
Mr. Crighton was surprised at the quantity of ganja being burned.
‘The amount of stuff I saw them take out today is mind boggling,’ he said. ‘There were sacks of it.’
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