by Michael Hone
Interpol to Investigate Shipment Bound for Europe
RECIFE, Brazil – Over the weekend, Federal Police (PF) in the Port of Suape seized over 1,200 pounds of pure cocaine bound for Europe via Africa. The cocaine was inside a shipping container and packaged to look like bags of gypsum, reported various Brazilian media outlets.
The bags of white powder were placed among, and were indistinguishable from, identical bags of plaster inside the container. The drugs were identified by a PF drug-sniffing German Shepard named Naue who became sick during the operation.
The origin of the shipment is still being investigated but Federal Agents believe that it was either Bolivia or Colombia. The seizure is the largest to date in North-eastern Brazil and marks what authorities believe is the opening of a new drug-smuggling corridor between the cocaine-producing Andean nations and Europe—the largest cocaine market in the world.
Authorities still need to inspect 3,000 other sacks, each weighing 40 kg, from the shipping containers. Their efforts have been stymied by Naue becoming ill. The Shepard was taken to the vet and is expected to be fine. He is scheduled to be released on Tuesday. In the meantime, PF was awaiting the arrival of another drug-sniffing dog on Monday.
Brazilian authorities believe the crime has characteristics of an international drug cartel due to the logistics involved and the high value of the shipment. They have invited the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to assist in the investigation.
Police say the wholesale value of the seizure is over U.S. $13 million.
Read also: More Articles from Brazil Dispatch
Brazilian online news source for this article: Various
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