PF fights international trafficking operation that used pesticide packaging

This Thursday (1st) the Federal Police are carrying out 19 search and seizure warrants in the cities of Goiânia, Trindade and Rio Verde, in Goiás, and also in Ponta Porã, in Mato Grosso do Sul, in an investigation into drug trafficking and smuggling.

The bank accounts of those involved were blocked by the Justice, and the PF has already seized money and luxury cars in Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul.

The investigations identified that people who smuggled cigarettes and pesticides from Paraguay also started to traffic controlled chemical products across the Brazilian border. The PF points out that the criminals used packages of pesticides to transport the drug and covered up the load with lidocaine and caffeine to escape inspection.

These products cause an anesthetic or stimulating effect and were used by the group to increase the amount of cocaine that would be sold. The chemicals were shipped in packages from Paraguay and given an unrealistic marking to indicate the first letter of the substance.

In Brazil, where commercialization is supervised by the Federal Police, the criminal organization used to smuggle it from the neighboring country, because, in the case of arrest in the act, despite the importation of pesticides constituting a crime, the penalty is much lower than that of international drug trafficking.

Those involved must answer for the crimes of international drug trafficking, association for international drug trafficking and smuggling, with sentences of up to 10 years in prison.