In a routine patrol on Highway 382 in Ponta Porã, Brazil, officers from the Border Operations Department (DOF) intercepted two vehicles in the rural outskirts of Ponta Porã, leading to one of the largest drug seizures in the area recently. The police were conducting a standard patrol when they flagged down a Toyota Hilux and a F1000 truck for inspection.
Upon inspection, the officers discovered 140 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and an additional 105 kilograms of cocaine base concealed in a sprayer located in the bed of the F1000 truck. This strategic hiding place illustrates the lengths to which drug trafficking operations will go to transport narcotics across borders.
The drivers of the vehicles, aged 37 and 41, were promptly arrested. During questioning, the Hilux driver revealed he had been employed as a scout, tasked with relaying information about law enforcement activity along the route to the F1000 driver. The F1000 driver, on the other hand, stated he was contracted to deliver the drugs to a designated fuel station in Bonito, approximately 300 kilometers away from the seizure site.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 245 kilograms of drugs in total, which were subsequently logged and transferred to the Specialized Border Crimes Division (Defron) in Dourados for further handling.
This bust was conducted under the auspices of the Border and Boundaries Protection Program, a joint initiative by the State Secretariat for Justice and Public Security (Sejusp) and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP). The program aims to enhance security along Brazil’s borders, which are often used for smuggling drugs, weapons, and other contraband.
