There were about 800 airstrips distributed throughout the northern department of Peten, the eastern department of Huehuetenango, the Pacific coast departments of Escuintla and Retalhuleu, and the northern central department of Alta Verapaz, said Baltazar Gomez, director of Guatemala's National Civilian Police.

The strips, intended for light aircraft, usually took around a month to build and were used only once before being destroyed. They were often constructed in the jungle, on sugar plantations or in areas with thick reeds, Gomez added.

Landowners were being paid by narco-traffickers for the use of their land. Moreover, as part of the deal, they had to take livestock to the area after the strip had been destroyed to cover up the evidence, he explained.

Drug smugglers are now using Guatemala as a hub to transport cocaine made in South America first into Mexico and then into the United States, the world's biggest cocaine market.