VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports: Interior & Justice Minister, Tarek El Aissami says the Police Detective Branch (CICPC) has seized around one tonne of marijuana in the La Fria district of Tachira State.

The Minister points out that the capture is the result of police intelligence work monitoring a criminal organization.

Two Venezuelan citizens said to be driving the truck have been arrested ... the police claim that they were transporting the haul to eastern Venezuela.

CICPC chief, Wilmer Flores Troesel says the operation was part of the citizen security and prevention plan under Battle front No.6, which engages in fighting narco-trafficking.

The Minister highlights the new national anti-drugs plan 2009-2013, which, he declares, has four strategic objectives: reducing demand, fight ing narco-trafficking, combating micro-trafficking and setting up prevention networks.

The National Anti-Drugs Office (ONA) prevention department chief, Rafael Sanchez maintains that Venezuela is the only country that has a national anti-drugs fund, which will finance community projects aimed at preventing drug use.

The ONA has already started a training programme for community assessors whose job it is to cooperate in preventing the use of drugs in their local community.

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
news.editor@vheadline.com