Sao Paulo.- The Brazilian authorities on Wednesday dismantled an international band of drug traffickers who bought drugs from Bolivia and transported it to Europe, passing through Brazil, the Federal Police (PF) reported. As part of the operation, dubbed “Low Flight”, the Justice today issued 13 temporary prison terms and 33 search warrants in different locations in six states of Brazil, including Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Bahia, Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso and Minas Gerais.
In addition to the injunctions, for the most part already carried out by the federal agents, 15 aircraft were apprehended and a number of properties, including three farms, were requested, according to a statement from the PF. The criminal group was commanded by an inland businessman from the state of Sao Paulo who articulated the purchase and air transport of drugs by Bolivian traffickers. The entrepreneur received cocaine in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, bordering Bolivia, and transported it by planes to the state of Sao Paulo, specifically to the port of Santos, the largest in South America, one of the most important in Latin America and where apprehensions of this type of substance are frequent. From there, the drug continued for European countries, including Spain, Italy, Belgium, Holland or England, where the value of cocaine multiplied to 5,000 times compared to the price at which it was purchased in Bolivia, as explained by the Federal Police at a press conference. The drug was transported in Brazil on small aircraft, in which one and a half tons of cocaine were sent per month.
A PF deflagrou hoje a Opera-o Voo Baixo, to disarticular uma orCRIM international, based non-State of Sao Paulo, specialized non-drug trafficking.
Or group was commanded by um empresário that promoted to purchase and distribute cocaine vinda da Bolívia. pic.twitter.com/NCoSHfPK0e — Federal Police (@policiafederal)
December 4, 2019
According to the research, the criminal group was led by the entrepreneur Rubens de Almeida Salles, who had links to the First Command of the Capital (PCC), one of the most powerful criminal groups in Brazil.
