Por Eduardo Szklarz / Diálogo
February 23, 2021
On January 20, 2021, Brazil’s Federal Police (PF) arrested five members of a gang that recruited people to transport cocaine to Lebanon. Three other members are at large. The arrests took place within the framework of Operation Overweight, whose objective is the fight against international drug trafficking.
According to Agency BrazilThe criminals bought cocaine in Colombia and recruited “mules” (people who voluntarily or involuntarily transport drugs, generally to other countries), who transported the drug to Lebanon. They also took care of the accommodation for recruits and the receipt of remittances in the Middle Eastern country.
To ensure that the mules did not regret it before boarding the aircraft, a member of the gang always accompanied them to the departure hall, intimidating and threatening them. “When the police showed up, these people disappeared so they wouldn’t be caught,” he reported. Agency Brazil.
The drugs were smuggled in checked bags. Recruits were paid between $ 15,000 and $ 25,000 after two or three trips.
“The organization is Lebanese, and it has been operating for at least four years. Mules are generally [individuos] foreigners, Lebanese, ”the PF reported in a statement.
The agents executed eight arrest warrants and eight search and seizure orders in the cities of São Paulo, Jundiaí and Foz do Iguaçu, on the Triple Frontier. In addition, they froze assets and seized vehicles, property and money, for a total of USD 25 million.
“In addition to the arrest of the members of the gang, more than 60 kilos of cocaine and about USD 47,000 were seized,” he reported. Agency Brazil.
On December 17, 2020, during another operation, more than 40 federal police officers dismantled two international drug trafficking organizations that operated in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná.
“The investigations began in April of this year [2020], from seizures of marijuana in the Serra Gaúcha region, which totaled 1.1 tons of the drug, “reported Agency Brazil.
According to the PF, the marijuana was purchased in Paraguay and transported to distribution points in the three southern states of Brazil.
–
