Military Police seize 3 tons of marijuana.
Approximately three tons of marijuana were seized in Guapó, on BR-060, on Sunday (29); the seizure was made possible thanks to the intelligence service of the Military Police, in conjunction with the Federal Police, and the action of the Metropolitan Tactical Patrols (Rotam), which monitored the criminal association for two weeks, and obtained information that the group would be in that region; it is the largest marijuana seizure this year; the value of the cargo is estimated at R$ 1 million, according to the Military Police.
Goiás 247 - Approximately three tons of marijuana were seized in Guapó, on BR-060, on Sunday (29). The seizure was made possible thanks to the intelligence service of the Military Police, in conjunction with the Federal Police, and the action of the Metropolitan Tactical Patrols (Rotam), which monitored the criminal association for two weeks, and obtained information that the group would be in that region. This is the largest marijuana seizure this year. The value of the cargo is estimated at R$ 1 million, according to the Military Police.
According to the deputy commander of Rotam, Major Daniel Pires, an F-350, a Parati, and a Gol departed from Ponta Porã – on the border of Mato Grosso do Sul with Paraguay – bound for Goiânia. They were approached on BR-060, near Guapó, and did not obey the order to stop the vehicles. At the time of the approach, the driver of the F-350, Romário Brito, 23 years old, fired at the police and only stopped when his tire was hit by a bullet.
Upon exiting the car, he fired several shots at the police officers, who returned fire. The criminal was hit, received medical attention, and was taken to a hospital in Guapó. He did not survive his injuries and died at the scene. Two other passengers fled on foot.
"What caught the police's attention was the audacity of the traffickers who traveled along interstate highways with a large quantity of marijuana in the back of a pickup truck, covered only by a tarp," says Major Daniel Pires.
The two remaining vehicles sped away down the highway. The criminals abandoned the cars and ran into a wooded area nearby. In the ensuing confrontation, two were shot and killed. Others managed to escape. Search teams are also pursuing these members of the criminal organization. During the operation, a .38 caliber revolver and a nine-millimeter pistol with a burst-fire kit were also seized.
The commander of the Capital Police, Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Rocha, states that the drugs were ordered by criminals inside the Aparecida de Goiânia prison complex. “The drugs were intended for distribution in the Metropolitan Region, and everything indicates that it was an order from criminals inside the prison,” he says. “The seizure of this quantity of drugs is fundamental because, in addition to crippling the criminal organization, it prevents these narcotics from circulating throughout the state,” he notes. “This significantly reduces crime rates,” he concludes.
Investigations
The F-350 pickup truck, which was carrying the large quantity of marijuana, has license plates from Goiânia. The Military Police, in conjunction with the Federal Police, identified the owner of the vehicle, who gave a statement on Sunday. He stated that he lent the truck to a mechanic who was going to move some of his belongings to Caldazinha, in the Goiânia Metropolitan Region.
"From all indications, the driver only lent the vehicle to third parties. The story gets complicated because the truck was lent between several people until it reached someone involved in drug trafficking," he says. "The driver left Goiânia, went to Ponta Porã, picked up the drugs, and was intercepted when he was near the capital," points out Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Rocha.