0:00:03 > 0:00:04All over the world,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08hundreds of thousands of people are fighting a hidden war.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11So what's happening up there? What's going on?
0:00:11 > 0:00:13The outcome of which could affect us all.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16It's the war against drugs.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22In this series,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25I'll travel to the front line of this conflict.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27In Thailand, I'll investigate how a new drug
0:00:27 > 0:00:30is devastating the local population,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33and is even being taken by kids.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37But tonight, I'll be journeying to a country
0:00:37 > 0:00:39that's now replaced Colombia
0:00:39 > 0:00:42as the world's number-one coca producer -
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Peru.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Oh, this is it.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50Coca, see?
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I'll discover how easy it is for cocaine traffickers
0:00:55 > 0:00:58to set up production deep in the jungle.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03So, this is it - one step closer to being the cocaine we know at home.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09I'll hear about the brutal violence carried out by drug cartels
0:01:09 > 0:01:10on those that cross them.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I'll join government forces as they launch a new war
0:01:28 > 0:01:32to try and destroy this multi-million-dollar industry.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Oh, my gosh, look at that!
0:01:38 > 0:01:41But will the authorities' fightback be enough
0:01:41 > 0:01:44to win control of the world's cocaine capital?
0:01:56 > 0:02:00My journey begins in Peru's vibrant capital city - Lima.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Most Brits come here for the sun, seafood and pisco sours,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10but now, more and more are coming for the cocaine.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Lima's crime-ridden port district
0:02:15 > 0:02:19is home to the notorious Sarita Colonia prison.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23I've come to the prison here, in Lima,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25and I've arranged to meet a British drug mule.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28So, this guy got caught trying to smuggle a huge amount of cocaine
0:02:28 > 0:02:32back into Europe, and he's now found himself serving a long time inside.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Hola.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46Peru now has more foreigners locked up for drug trafficking offences
0:02:46 > 0:02:49than any other South American country.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53And some of them are from surprisingly close to home.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56- Hello.- Danny.- How are you, Danny? - I'm not too bad.- I'm Stacey.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Where are you from? Whereabouts?
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Inglaterra. Originally near Southend.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04- Yeah? I'm from Luton.- Luton! - You know it?- Oh, I know Luton well.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Look at you with your England cap on!
0:03:06 > 0:03:08You've got to represent your country.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16Lima's high-security prison was built for just 570 prisoners...
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Oh, it's busy, isn't it?
0:03:18 > 0:03:21..but now, there are over 2,800 men living here,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25almost all of them for drug trafficking offences.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27How many Brits are there in here?
0:03:27 > 0:03:28- 11 or 12 of us.- OK.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Danny is two years into a six-year sentence.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37He was trying to make a fast buck, smuggling cocaine to Europe,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41but got caught at Lima airport with 1.3 kilos of the drug.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43How much were you offered?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I was offered 5,000 for coming and doing it
0:03:46 > 0:03:52and then anything over the one kilo was mine to take and sell
0:03:52 > 0:03:54or do whatever I wanted to do with afterwards.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56In total, I could have probably made...
0:03:56 > 0:03:58I don't know, close to 20,000.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01So your job was to just get on the plane, come to Peru...
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Yeah, literally, they gave me the ticket to come here,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07spending money while I was here.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10You'll get told to go to a bar on a certain day at a certain time.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14You meet someone, they hand you a suitcase
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and that's the suitcase you just...
0:04:17 > 0:04:20When you finish your holiday, four days later or whatever it is,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23that's the suitcase you just go to the airport with to fly home.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25- But...- It didn't work out that way.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27No. You get your plane ticket, you go to turn around,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31I got about three steps away, hand on the shoulder...
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Yeah, and they're like, "Oh, you know,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36"can we search your suitcase?"
0:04:36 > 0:04:38- And at that point, you're thinking, "Oh..."- You feel sick?
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Yeah, yeah, the whole stomach just drops. You think, "Uff!"
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Your head's just spinning, you don't know what to expect.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Pretty much, though, you do know that your life's over.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Big, big regret in life.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Why Peru? Why did you come to Peru?
0:04:54 > 0:04:56At the time, that's where they said to go.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01I mean, I never knew Peru was the biggest drug, sort of, producer.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04You know, if anyone ever said to me, "Where does cocaine come from?"
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- Colombia.- Me too.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- Even I had to look it up, whereabouts...- On the map?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10..in South America am I going?
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Thank you very much. Bye.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17You know, I'm really taken aback, actually.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21There's 12 Brits currently serving time in here
0:05:21 > 0:05:23because a cocaine deal has gone wrong.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25It's not quite worked out. They wanted quick money,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28they've got caught and they're now paying the price.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33So, yeah, Peru, seemingly, is the place to be if you want the cocaine.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36Peru is the new Colombia.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41I'm heading off on a journey
0:05:41 > 0:05:45to find out why the Peruvian cocaine industry is now booming.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49First, I want to see for myself how the drug is actually made.
0:05:51 > 0:05:57I've come to the coca growing capital of Peru - the VRAE valley.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Tens of thousands of hectares of coca is grown here -
0:06:00 > 0:06:04around a third of what's grown in the whole of Peru.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09The first essential ingredient in the cocaine-making process
0:06:09 > 0:06:11is the coca leaf itself,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14grown in the nutrient-rich soil in the Peruvian mountains.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Right now, I'm heading into the hills of San Jose
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and I'm told that once I get up there,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25the coca plantations that I'll see are absolutely huge.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26They're massive.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30But as I was about to discover,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33just getting around this country was going to be a nightmare.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Yes, Alex! You are gangster!
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Ooh, ah...
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Shoot.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47It looks like the road has just come away.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Brilliant.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Alex, how am I going to get across that?
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- No.- No, no, no.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Just when I thought the roads had beaten us,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06a car full of guys turned up
0:07:06 > 0:07:09and they quickly went to work rebuilding the bridge.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13Alex?
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Oh, oh, oh!
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Ah!
0:07:25 > 0:07:26Dale, dale! Dale, dale, dale!
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- DOG BARKS - Whoo! Yeah!
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Back on the road, but not for long.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Ugh!
0:07:38 > 0:07:41This roadblock was not for shifting.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Ugh!
0:07:49 > 0:07:52I'm just not sure how we're going to be able to continue.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54It's...looking impossible.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00When trying to get to the top of a Peruvian mountain,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03four legs are most definitely better than two.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Are you going to be nice?
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- Oh, his name's Charlie! His name's Charlie?- Yeah.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12SHE SQUEALS
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Charlie, come on! Come on, Charlie, get a wiggle on.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It's the perfect name, no?! Charlie.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Take me to the Charlie, Charlie.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29If it's this hard for me to get to the coca plantations,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33it must be a real headache for the Peruvian authorities to police.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Keep going.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- Come on, Charlie! - BRAYING
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Oh, Charlie!
0:08:40 > 0:08:44When I finally reached the plateau, I couldn't quite believe my eyes.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48There's a hell of a lot of coca.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I mean, it's literally everywhere you look.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Bit blown away.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07From the very top of that hill,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10it comes all the way down, all across here,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12right down to the very bottom.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15It's just all coca, the whole lot of it.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18And this is just a tiny drop in the ocean
0:09:18 > 0:09:21in comparison to what really exists here.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24I mean, there's every chance
0:09:24 > 0:09:26that the cocaine produced out of these coca leaves
0:09:26 > 0:09:28will end up in the UK.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I mean, Peru caters for Europe mostly,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32it sends most of the cocaine to Europe,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and so a lot of it will end up in our big towns and big cities.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Could well have come from here.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Maybe this exact valley.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45What do you reckon, Charlie?
0:09:52 > 0:09:57The sheer quantity of coca plants needed makes it impossible to hide.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00But the further along the cocaine trail you get,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02the greater the penalties if caught,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04so the next stage of the process -
0:10:04 > 0:10:07extracting the essential chemicals from the leaf -
0:10:07 > 0:10:11is done in cocaine laboratories hidden in the jungle.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15To see that meant entering a town where we would not be very welcome.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20So, this morning, I'm heading to a town called Santa Rosa,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23and Santa Rosa is infamous, it's very, very well known
0:10:23 > 0:10:25for producing cocaine on an industrial scale.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29It's a bit of a lawless community, to be honest.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32And, you know, the thought of westerners going into Santa Rosa fills them with fear.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Like, they don't want us there.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37They worry about informers, they worry about the drug cartels
0:10:37 > 0:10:39and they worry about what we're going to see,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42so we have to keep an incredibly low profile today.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44There's no way on Earth we can get the big camera out.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46We can't be seen to be filming.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56We had arranged to meet our contact in Santa Rosa,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59who had agreed to show us the next stage of the process.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06So, we've just entered Santa Rosa now.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10It does feel very tense here...
0:11:12 > 0:11:16..and I think we're just going to try and see as much as we can
0:11:16 > 0:11:17and get the hell out of here.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Our contact was becoming concerned that he might be spotted
0:11:24 > 0:11:27showing a western TV crew their illegal trade,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and the local drug cartels might find out,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32so we were told to wait in a back street
0:11:32 > 0:11:35until he was confident the route was clear.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46When the call finally came through, we had to move quickly.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Our only opportunity was fast running out.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Everything feels quite panicked, everything feels quite rushed.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Hola, senor.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- Baja rapido, rapido.- Quick, quick.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10On arrival, we were ushered quickly into the jungle.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Our contact seemed nervous.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19He was scared other people in the jungle might tell the drug cartels
0:12:19 > 0:12:21that we were here.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- SHE WHISPERS:- This is crazy.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26We're having to hide here now because he thinks...
0:12:27 > 0:12:30..there's people around us who could be listening.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Finally, I arrived at the cocaine laboratory.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- SHE WHISPERS:- Here it is, this is the lab.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00He then showed me some of the toxic chemicals
0:13:00 > 0:13:02that are used to make cocaine.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- Salt? Just regular salt?- Mm-hm.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30I was surprised at how simple and makeshift the whole operation was.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34- Can I have a look? Am I able to come in?- Si, si, si.- OK.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38So this is it - this is the next stage,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41one step closer to being the cocaine we know at home.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45It stinks, though. It really, really smells. The smell is so strong.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50You see all this water that's come out,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52it almost looks like juice?
0:13:52 > 0:13:55That's what they need to make the cocaine.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It's not the leaf, it's what's inside the leaf.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Vamos a seguir el trabajo batiendo.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06The coca leaves release the chemical cocaine hydrochloride,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09which is then skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
0:14:10 > 0:14:11It stinks.
0:14:13 > 0:14:14Ammonia?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Then, more chemicals are added.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18SHE CLEARS HER THROAT
0:14:18 > 0:14:20SHE COUGHS
0:14:20 > 0:14:21Este es el material de cal.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Are the police on to you guys, do they know that you do this?
0:14:48 > 0:14:53You can see already it's starting to resemble cocaine a bit more.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58This guy had been making cocaine this way for over 14 years,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02so I was shocked to hear what he thought the drug was being used for.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Do you think about the implications that your work has around the world?
0:15:18 > 0:15:22To hear him tell me what he genuinely believes
0:15:22 > 0:15:24this cocaine will be used for is just astonishing.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27You know, he said, "Well, of course I know what it's used for.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30"They give it to the soldiers so that they're not scared to go into war."
0:15:30 > 0:15:32And I just thought, "Ooh!"
0:15:34 > 0:15:40These guys really have no idea about where this coke can end up.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I've seen people become addicted to coke at home,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46I've seen how it can destroy people's lives
0:15:46 > 0:15:48and the thought that he has no idea
0:15:48 > 0:15:51that that's even an issue is mind-blowing.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Having seen the huge scale of cocaine production
0:15:59 > 0:16:02and the vast swathes of coca plantations,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05I wanted to find out what the Peruvian authorities were doing
0:16:05 > 0:16:07to fight this growing threat.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13I'm on my way to the police base here in Tingo Maria,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16to join the anti-narcotics police on a raid.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19So they've discovered there's this cocaine laboratory,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21it's hidden somewhere nearby in the jungle
0:16:21 > 0:16:22and they've agreed that I can come along.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31The anti-narcotics police were unpacking a lorry-load of bananas
0:16:31 > 0:16:34they had just confiscated after a tip-off.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41And there it was - another crop hidden underneath.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44You can see it - coca, coca, coca, coca.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51When I joined the Commandant and his team,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54they were already in the operations briefing.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02The plan was to raid a mixing pool in the jungle
0:17:02 > 0:17:04a few kilometres north of here,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07seize the laboratory and apprehend any workers.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17They're geared up to the eyeballs,
0:17:17 > 0:17:22I can't tell you how many guns and weapons and bullets and...
0:17:22 > 0:17:24I mean, look at this lad here.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Ooh, here we go.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Comandante, the laboratory that we're going to go and see now,
0:17:36 > 0:17:37are there cartels there?
0:17:48 > 0:17:51The Shining Path are a leftist guerrilla group
0:17:51 > 0:17:53who provide the muscle for the drug cartels.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- RADIO:- Haciendo cobertura, primer puente.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Suddenly, our convoy drew to a halt.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17So, what's happening up there? What's going on?
0:18:28 > 0:18:29While it's crucial they're cautious,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32it's also a race to reach the mixing pool in time
0:18:32 > 0:18:35to catch the cocaine producers in the act.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Once we arrived, the anti-narcotics police leapt into action.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Go, go, go, go!
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Si.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00Si, si, si.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07A heavily-armed team went on ahead to secure the area.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Rio arriba.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Oh!
0:19:31 > 0:19:35I've never experienced anything like this.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41The heat and the danger is the most full-on thing.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44This is the maddest thing I've ever done.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48It's relentless.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It's just the most insane thing I've ever... Oh!
0:19:53 > 0:19:55This is it. We're here. This is it.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04It's exactly like the one I saw in VRAE.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12And a second lab was discovered a bit further into the jungle.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Acido sulfurico, que mas?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22All the tools and ingredients to make coca paste
0:20:22 > 0:20:24were lying around the lab,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27as if they had been hastily abandoned.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Did you find anyone working here?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54But, I mean, today, you found two mixing pools,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57but there'll be no prosecution. A bit disheartening.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Ya vamos a quemar esto, jefe!
0:21:14 > 0:21:16The workers had all escaped
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and would likely just set up a new mixing pool somewhere else.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22It seemed to me this was a game of cat and mouse
0:21:22 > 0:21:24that the authorities were losing.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30All the Commandant and his men could do now was burn the place down.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33If they could get it to light, that is.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38These guys are just trying to burn the mixing pool down now,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40but they're struggling cos the rain's come.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Someone threw gasolina all over the floor,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54so it's now going to trickle right through,
0:21:54 > 0:21:55so this is going to go up big.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Oh, my gosh! Look at that!
0:22:02 > 0:22:03Ooh!
0:22:11 > 0:22:15I mean, I guess today was a success for the police, in a sense.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18They've busted two labs, so they've got to be happy with that...
0:22:20 > 0:22:22..but they didn't catch anyone.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25You know, they said they feel like
0:22:25 > 0:22:27perhaps they didn't catch the guys in action
0:22:27 > 0:22:29because they were informed.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Perhaps someone in the town rang them and went,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34"We've just seen the police drive past."
0:22:34 > 0:22:38So it sounds like a lot of the town and a lot of the communities still
0:22:38 > 0:22:40sort of have that pack mentality
0:22:40 > 0:22:42when it comes to protecting the coca.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57I wanted to see the final stage of the cocaine-making process,
0:22:57 > 0:23:01where the paste from the mixing pool is turned into pure cocaine...
0:23:04 > 0:23:08..but it was proving difficult to find someone willing to show me.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Eventually, we got lucky.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19After a lot of persuasion, a couple of guys have agreed
0:23:19 > 0:23:22to show me this final stage of the production process.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26I'm told ordinarily it will happen in sort of big, hidden laboratories
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and they're spread around the town.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30They're not willing to take me to one of them,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33but they have said they agree to meet me at another location.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40- Hola.- Queria decirle que no nos tomeis la cara.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- No camera.- Ya, de aca para abajo.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46OK, his face down. Si.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49This was just a small demonstration.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54These guys work in one of the many huge cocaine-cooking laboratories
0:23:54 > 0:23:56scattered around Santa Rosa.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10The cocaine paste is still full of chemicals,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12which need to be drained from the solids.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Well, you can see it all spilling out there.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26What happens next?
0:24:38 > 0:24:42He then pops the drained cocaine paste into the microwave
0:24:42 > 0:24:43and set it to full power.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55I was astonished at how easy it had been to produce pure cocaine
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and with such basic equipment.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04That's it, finished now. It's ready to...ready to snort?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I wanted to know who would then buy the finished cocaine,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12but he was keeping well schtum.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Where will the cocaine go next? Who will take it off you?
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Peru's cocaine production is so adaptable and well hidden
0:25:34 > 0:25:36that it's proving to be very difficult
0:25:36 > 0:25:39for the authorities to keep a lid on.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45And now there's a new problem emerging
0:25:45 > 0:25:48in an even more difficult-to-police part of Peru.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Rapido! Rapido!
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Coca production is now starting to appear
0:25:53 > 0:25:56in places it's never been grown before -
0:25:56 > 0:25:57in the Amazon basin.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02To get to these coca plantations,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04I had to catch a jungle plane,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07which was supposed to be leaving about now.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15I'm going nowhere fast.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18I'm waiting for my plane, aren't I?
0:26:18 > 0:26:22I'm wanting to go to Caballococha.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23That's where all the coca plantations are,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25a lot of them are based there.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27But, as you can see, shock horror, Sod's law,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31I thought it'd be wise to come in the rainy season,
0:26:31 > 0:26:32and I've been stopped in my tracks.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- Just waiting, aren't we? - SHE LAUGHS
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Just chilling in a jungle airport.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Here, come...
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It's not dissimilar to Terminal 5.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52My main worry is the flight itself.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55There aren't many planes that fly to this remote part of the jungle,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59and it looks as if they ram them as full as they can.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02I've only been on a couple of these small planes in my whole life
0:27:02 > 0:27:05and I'm not a mad fan, like, they're so bouncy,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08you can feel every little bit of turbulence in them.
0:27:11 > 0:27:12Oh...
0:27:14 > 0:27:15Wish me luck.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Once we were above the clouds, my nerves soon disappear.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00This is amazing.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02It feels like we're in the middle of nowhere.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05It feels like we're in no-man's-land.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Coca has traditionally been grown on mountainsides,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18with its dry, nutrient-rich soil.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21But a new strain of coca plant has been developed,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23which means it can now be grown
0:28:23 > 0:28:26in places it's never been grown before.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36There's meant to be a great deal of coca plantations all over this area.
0:28:36 > 0:28:41This new strain of coca leaf has transformed this Amazonian region,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43close to the Colombian border,
0:28:43 > 0:28:48making it Peru's fastest-growing area of new coca production.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10- SHE LAUGHS - Is this the terminal?
0:29:10 > 0:29:12MUSIC PLAYS
0:29:12 > 0:29:14SHE LAUGHS
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Are you winding me up? Is this the terminal?
0:29:24 > 0:29:27So, this is the main terminal. This is where it's at.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32It gives you some kind of idea just how remote I am.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35This is it, the whole airport.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38- There's an engine on the floor! - SHE LAUGHS
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Oh! This is ridiculous.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54Being so close to Colombia means Colombian drug cartels
0:29:54 > 0:29:57have moved into Peru's Amazon region,
0:29:57 > 0:29:59staking a claim to this territory.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05It's believed they brought the new strain of coca plant with them.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08So, right now, I'm very, very close to the border.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11I'm literally sat between Peru and Colombia.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13You can see Colombia in the distance.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17And I've arranged to go and meet a pastor
0:30:17 > 0:30:19who used to live around this area
0:30:19 > 0:30:22who has agreed to talk to me and explain to me
0:30:22 > 0:30:26what life has been like since the Colombian narco-traffickers arrived.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Hola, como estas?
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Bien, mi nombre es Pastor Marco Vela Ramirez.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40Pastor Marco was the religious leader of a small peaceful community
0:30:40 > 0:30:42living on the Peruvian side of the river
0:30:42 > 0:30:45until the drug traffickers turned up.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58They're nearby right now?
0:31:02 > 0:31:04The traffickers were friendly at first,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07offering work on the coca plantations.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13But when an internal feud over territory split the cartel in two,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15the pastor's community found themselves
0:31:15 > 0:31:17on the wrong side of the divide.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Is it still that dangerous here now?
0:31:58 > 0:32:01And where are the police, the Peruvian Police?
0:32:20 > 0:32:24It's so remote that the state has almost no presence here,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28leaving communities at the mercy of the drug cartels.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36My journey took me deeper into this lawless cocaine country.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Hola! Please don't kill me.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48I had arranged to spend some time with a coca farming community,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50in a village called Cushillococha.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Most of the communities I'd seen so far
0:32:59 > 0:33:02appeared to be living very poor lives
0:33:02 > 0:33:05in small shacks on the river bank, barely surviving.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11I mean, look at this, look at this home.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15I guess a lot of the families that are living in these really simple shacks
0:33:15 > 0:33:18are just living a hand-to-mouth existence.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22It's such a simple way of life.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31We're approaching, right now, Cushillococha.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37I mean, already, it looks really very different to the shacks
0:33:37 > 0:33:39that I've seen coming down to the river.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42You can see the roofs.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44So, if you have a look here, the roofs are tin
0:33:44 > 0:33:47as opposed to the leaves that we've been used to seeing.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51There's bricks - I've not seen a home with bricks
0:33:51 > 0:33:53since I've been here.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Certainly, a lot more money floating around here.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59I'm mean, it's central London, innit?
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Hola, amigo.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Town leader Antolin was there to meet me...
0:34:04 > 0:34:06Como estas? Bien?
0:34:06 > 0:34:08..along with an unlikely-looking chap,
0:34:08 > 0:34:10who said he was the mayor.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12- Hola!- Mucho gusto.- Como estas?- Bien.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Oh, you're the mayor!
0:34:14 > 0:34:16Nice to meet you. Thank you for having me.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33"Welcome to Cushillococha."
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Hola.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Immediately, it just looks so different, no?
0:34:46 > 0:34:51The contrast to the home that I saw down the river is absolutely huge.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Look, one, two, three homes sat there side by side
0:34:56 > 0:34:58and they all look like they've just been finished.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00So they've got the exposed bricks...
0:35:02 > 0:35:03One, two, three...
0:35:03 > 0:35:05There's four satellite dishes.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Next door's got a satellite and a tin roof.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12There's tin roofs everywhere.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14So if you just have a look at this home -
0:35:14 > 0:35:17this is what would have been the older home, I'm assuming,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20and then, look, they've built almost an extension.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24The extension's got a tin roof and there's a satellite dish.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26This is more traditional.
0:35:26 > 0:35:27Hola.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31So what is it that you do for a living
0:35:31 > 0:35:34and how have you been able to make improvements to your home?
0:36:00 > 0:36:03So the only reason you've ever tasted cold water
0:36:03 > 0:36:06is because you had enough money from the coca production to buy a fridge?
0:36:06 > 0:36:07Si.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21The profits from growing this new strain of coca leaf
0:36:21 > 0:36:25has had a transformational effect on this community.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27- These bikes are new?- Uh-huh.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30As town leader, Antolin explained.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Is it not a massive risk and a massive worry for you and the community
0:37:03 > 0:37:05having to deal with drug traffickers?
0:37:32 > 0:37:36I guess this is a really complicated scenario. You know,
0:37:36 > 0:37:40being involved in any type of cocaine production is illegal.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42With that comes so many risks, as well.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45You know, these people are having to deal with people
0:37:45 > 0:37:48who are not very nice people, who are not mucking about,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52who are hardened drug cartels.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56I don't know how you decide what's best for you and your family.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00How do you make that kind of call?
0:38:03 > 0:38:07One coca farmer and his family kindly agreed to let me visit them
0:38:07 > 0:38:10and join them on a harvest of their coca plantation,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14which was hidden somewhere in the nearby jungle.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16Oh, gracias!
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Hello, hola!
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Oh, God, there's so many!
0:38:20 > 0:38:22You have five children!
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Hello, Mum. How are you?
0:38:25 > 0:38:27I'm Stacey.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31- Hola! Como estas?- Buenas tardes.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Get yourself decent! The telly's here!
0:38:34 > 0:38:37How are you, sir?
0:38:41 > 0:38:44My English name is Stacey Dooley.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- THEY LAUGH - It's funny, isn't it?
0:38:47 > 0:38:50Bienvenidos a Cushillococha! Pasad, adelante!
0:38:50 > 0:38:53While their neighbours have been growing the new strain of coca leaf
0:38:53 > 0:38:54for the last five years,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Shuca and Eva refused to grow the drug.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00But this year, they have finally succumbed,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04having seen the financial benefits their neighbours have enjoyed.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Sounds like it was a difficult choice
0:39:06 > 0:39:10for you to agree to producing coca - why?
0:39:55 > 0:39:56Put your welly on.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05It was time to go to work at the coca plantation...
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Off to watch Mum and Dad work.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10..and that meant a full-on family affair.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16It clearly means an awful lot to this family
0:40:16 > 0:40:18to own their own coca plantation.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23For them, the arrival of coca in this region has been a blessing.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Deeper we went into the flooded forest,
0:40:30 > 0:40:33through a route that Shuca had shared with few others.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46I was keen to finally see this new strain of coca plant,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49which was bringing so much change to this part of Peru.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03But there were a few jungle obstacles to overcome first.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07Oh! I can't get my foot out.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Oh!
0:41:12 > 0:41:15I might be all right.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Whoa!
0:41:17 > 0:41:20I'm not a very good swimmer.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24Listo. Estamos en el otro lado ya.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25SHE SCREAMS
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Oh, is this us?
0:41:33 > 0:41:36We've arrived! Oh, this is it.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39This is the coca plantation.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45Right away, Shuca and his family start harvesting the crop.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06This is it. This is the Amazonian coca leaf.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11It just looks so inconspicuous and just so useless, no?
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Amazonian coca leaf is believed
0:42:15 > 0:42:18to have been specially cultivated by Colombian drug cartels
0:42:18 > 0:42:20in order to expand their production
0:42:20 > 0:42:24by growing the crop in previously inhospitable conditions.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29This has been designed, almost, it's been made
0:42:29 > 0:42:33so that it can flourish in this kind of environment.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36So, traditionally, you'd grow coca leaves up in mountains.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39This leaf can be grown in an environment
0:42:39 > 0:42:42that's like a flooded swamp.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47What do we think you would get for one harvest?
0:42:47 > 0:42:49How much would you make?
0:42:50 > 0:42:53You harvest three times a year,
0:42:53 > 0:42:57so you're earning about £600 extra a year for you and your family.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Si, si, si, si.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03£600 is a lot of money to Shuca and his family,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06when they were previously earning next to nothing.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09It left me feeling a bit divided.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13I personally have seen cocaine do so many awful things,
0:43:13 > 0:43:18but, equally, I can't argue that, seemingly,
0:43:18 > 0:43:23it's helping Peruvian families in some weird way.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25You know, they're able to pay their lecky bills,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27they're able to pay their water bills,
0:43:27 > 0:43:29feed their kids and send their kids to school
0:43:29 > 0:43:33because these leaves are in such high demand.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36This is having a massive impact...
0:43:37 > 0:43:39..on the Amazonian part of Peru.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48What I've seen here has frightening potential.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53The toxic combination of this new strain of coca,
0:43:53 > 0:43:57along with hundreds and thousands of poor people with nothing to lose,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00could prompt a further boom to the cocaine industry.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05The authorities clearly need a serious plan
0:44:05 > 0:44:08to deal with the escalation of coca production
0:44:08 > 0:44:10and tackle this growing threat.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17The Peruvian government now believes it does have an answer.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26I've joined CORAH.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28They're the government brigade that's been tasked
0:44:28 > 0:44:32with eradicating Peru's illegal coca plantations...
0:44:34 > 0:44:36..using force, if necessary.
0:44:54 > 0:44:55Miguel is operations director
0:44:55 > 0:44:59and oversees the government's coca eradication programme.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02Coca. Coca, see?
0:45:05 > 0:45:06For the first time ever,
0:45:06 > 0:45:09the Peruvian government is providing its own funding
0:45:09 > 0:45:12to combat the cocaine industry,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15rather than relying on US and European Union aid.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18- One minute.- One minute. One minute.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20Uno momento!
0:45:20 > 0:45:23This year, CORAH have a 26 million budget
0:45:23 > 0:45:27and their coca eradication targets have more than doubled.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Up in the air, you get the gist of how massive the problem is
0:45:32 > 0:45:35and how big a job these guys have got.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38It's a job that must feel like it's never going to end.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44Everywhere you look - coca, coca, coca.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48Once the coca plantations have been spotted and recorded from the air,
0:45:48 > 0:45:52CORAH sends in its brigade to start the eradication.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10So I'm assuming the idea is for your guys to just get rid
0:46:10 > 0:46:13of all the coca in this area.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25As Miguel's men were clearing the plantation,
0:46:25 > 0:46:29my thoughts turned to the farmers who rely on this crop.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31How do the coca farmers react, you know,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35when you're coming in and effectively taking their livelihood?
0:46:52 > 0:46:55I totally get that none of that behaviour is acceptable,
0:46:55 > 0:46:58and you guys are just trying to do a good job.
0:46:58 > 0:47:05But, sometimes, can you sympathise with people doing desperate things?
0:47:05 > 0:47:08Because they're thinking, "Ah, this is the only way I can get money,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10"this is the only way I can feed my kids."
0:47:38 > 0:47:42I knew the violent actions of the coca farmers were not right,
0:47:42 > 0:47:46but I wondered how Shuca, the coca farmer that I'd met, would have reacted
0:47:46 > 0:47:50if it was his plantation being eradicated.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54When I came up here and I saw the guys ripping all the coca out,
0:47:54 > 0:47:57the first thing you think is, "Thank God this isn't Shuca's,"
0:47:57 > 0:48:00because he'd be mortified,
0:48:00 > 0:48:03his kids would be mortified, his wife would be gutted.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06I mean, it would seriously ruin their life.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08But this is somebody's plantation
0:48:08 > 0:48:11and it will have been feeding some family
0:48:11 > 0:48:14and it will have been helping financially in some way.
0:48:14 > 0:48:19But on the flip side, it then goes on to make this horrible product
0:48:19 > 0:48:21that can ruin loads of lives,
0:48:21 > 0:48:24so...who's right and who's wrong?
0:48:24 > 0:48:27It's...it's hard.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31Then, before the team could complete their work,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34we were suddenly under attack.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37Not from angry farmers or the drug cartels,
0:48:37 > 0:48:39but from a swarm of bees.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41SHE MOANS
0:48:41 > 0:48:44- Levantese, levantese mas su... - There's a swarm of bees.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53I can't see anything. Where are the bees?
0:48:53 > 0:48:54Oh, shit.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14There was no standing our ground.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16This is ridic... Ugh!
0:49:16 > 0:49:20We had to beat a full retreat until the bees settled.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23It's a constant battle up here.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27Narco-traffickers, Colombians, cartels, bees.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29SHE SIGHS
0:49:31 > 0:49:35It seems to me that eradication alone will never work.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38They can rip the coca plants out of the ground all they want,
0:49:38 > 0:49:41but so long as there's hundreds and thousands of poor people here,
0:49:41 > 0:49:45there will always be the temptation to regrow it.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59Before I left, I wanted to see if the Peruvian government
0:49:59 > 0:50:01were offering these coca-growing communities
0:50:01 > 0:50:04any alternative ways to make a living.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07Muchas gracias. It's not nice out there.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11OK, I've come to see a government organisation called DEVIDA,
0:50:11 > 0:50:14so it's their job to go in after a coca eradication
0:50:14 > 0:50:17and they've got to try and convince the communities
0:50:17 > 0:50:21to start growing other, legal crops, you know, alternative crops.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24That sounds like it'll be a pretty tough sell.
0:50:25 > 0:50:26I'm Stacey.
0:50:30 > 0:50:31Nice to meet you both.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36Crucially, DEVIDA are offering communities an all-round package...
0:50:38 > 0:50:41..including legal crops with access to markets
0:50:41 > 0:50:44and road and bridge-building projects -
0:50:44 > 0:50:47something these remote communities badly need.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54We were heading to a small town called Inti,
0:50:54 > 0:50:57where there'd been a tight-knit community of coca growers,
0:50:57 > 0:50:59until, of course, the eradication teams arrived
0:50:59 > 0:51:01and cleared all the coca.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05Jesus is here to speak to the villagers
0:51:05 > 0:51:07for the first time since then.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16The town seemed pretty empty,
0:51:16 > 0:51:18apart from the animals
0:51:18 > 0:51:21and a few people by the village shop.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25- Hola, como estas?- Hola! - Seno, como estas? Buenas.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30- Hola, como estas, senorita? - Senorita!
0:52:19 > 0:52:21When I delved a little deeper,
0:52:21 > 0:52:24it became apparent why this woman was so resentful of the government.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27When was your plantation eradicated?
0:52:27 > 0:52:28When did that happen?
0:52:38 > 0:52:41So, how has that been able to happen?
0:52:41 > 0:52:44This lady has had her coca taken away six months ago -
0:52:44 > 0:52:46half a year ago -
0:52:46 > 0:52:49and this is the first time she's saying anyone's offered any help.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20The government clearly has a difficult job on its hands,
0:53:20 > 0:53:23but I can't help feeling that something more needs to be done.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27It's madness to me
0:53:27 > 0:53:31that they've come and eradicated this woman's coca plantation.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33She's been hungry for six months
0:53:33 > 0:53:35and this is the first contact that's been made.
0:53:37 > 0:53:38I mean, from my understanding,
0:53:38 > 0:53:44the organisation set out to try and win the communities over,
0:53:44 > 0:53:48you know, to get them onside and help them rebuild their lives
0:53:48 > 0:53:52that have been devastated because their coca's been taken away,
0:53:52 > 0:53:56but it doesn't really seem like that's happening, does it?
0:53:56 > 0:54:00Yes, the eradication needs to happen but these people need to be given
0:54:00 > 0:54:03an alternative way to make a living a lot quicker.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Just as we were about to leave, I noticed something going on
0:54:11 > 0:54:14a couple of houses along from the old lady's shop.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25- SHE CHUCKLES - There's so much coca here.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29This is a community that's supposed
0:54:29 > 0:54:31to have been completely eradicated, you know,
0:54:31 > 0:54:34they're meant to have sorted it. Tick, done.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37And I've literally walked around the corner
0:54:37 > 0:54:40and there's coca everywhere.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42You know, in a way, what do the government
0:54:42 > 0:54:44and what do the authorities expect?
0:54:44 > 0:54:46They've left this community for six months,
0:54:46 > 0:54:49so the people have taken it upon themselves to think,
0:54:49 > 0:54:52"We haven't got any way of making money.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54"We're going to have to go back to coca."
0:54:54 > 0:54:56And that's what's happened.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59But it seems like, as long as there's demand,
0:54:59 > 0:55:01as long as people are desperate for coke,
0:55:01 > 0:55:02this will always be an issue.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07You know, it's almost unstoppable, it can't be fixed.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11This is a problem that can't be mended.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17I've no doubt the Peruvian authorities are making
0:55:17 > 0:55:22a really serious attempt to fight the cocaine industry.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25But it seems to me that the sheer scale of the problem
0:55:25 > 0:55:28far outweighs the resources available to fight it.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33And as long as there are so may poor communities
0:55:33 > 0:55:35for which cocaine is a route out of poverty,
0:55:35 > 0:55:40my fear is that Peru will remain the world's number one coca producer
0:55:40 > 0:55:42for many years to come.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48Next time, I'll be in Thailand
0:55:48 > 0:55:51investigating how a new drug epidemic
0:55:51 > 0:55:53is sweeping through the country...
0:55:54 > 0:55:56Is this the first time
0:55:56 > 0:55:58that you've seen him pull out a gun and act this crazy?
0:55:58 > 0:56:01..even affecting kids.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04There's now 12-year-olds
0:56:04 > 0:56:07clucking and addicted to yaba in Thailand.