Brazilian Federal Police conduct major operation against international cocaine trafficking.
An operation to dismantle an international cocaine trafficking scheme has been launched, with several Federal Police teams, totaling 800 agents, executing 120 preventive arrest warrants, seven temporary arrest warrants, and 190 search and seizure warrants in the states of Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, and the Federal District. The criminal scheme used the city of São Paulo as a hub and the Port of Santos as the main point of departure for the drugs.
Aécio Amado, reporter for Agência Brasil - An operation to dismantle an international cocaine trafficking scheme was launched this morning (4) by the Federal Police (PF). Several PF teams are carrying out 120 preventive arrest warrants, seven temporary arrest warrants and 190 search and seizure warrants in the states of Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and the Federal District.
The criminal scheme used the city of São Paulo as a hub and the Port of Santos as the main point of departure for the drugs. The group was responsible for trafficking more than 6 tons of pure cocaine to Europe during the investigation period, following international police cooperation between the Brazilian Federal Police and the DEA (the US drug enforcement agency).
"During the investigations, five cocaine seizures carried out between August 2015 and July 2016 were analyzed (three in the Port of Santos and two in a port in Russia, coming from Santos). Due to their characteristics, suspicion arose that the same group was responsible for all the shipments, which totaled 2,1 tons," says the Federal Police statement.
The police investigation, initiated in August 2016, indicates that the suspects were operating through criminal enterprises. "Different organized and specialized groups, operating in Brazil and Europe, associated with each other according to the needs of each illicit business they intended to carry out." According to the Federal Police, the cocaine originated from producing countries and was stored in various locations in the city of São Paulo before being shipped to Europe by sea.
The operation's name, Brabo, which involves 800 agents, refers to one of the drug's destinations, the Port of Antwerp in Belgium. "Brabo was a Roman soldier who supposedly freed the inhabitants of the Scheldt River region, where Antwerp is located, from the yoke of a giant and threw his hand into the river. This legend gave rise to the city's name."