Highway Police Drug Confiscations in Rio Increase 66 Percent This Year

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Since the beginning of the year, the Federal Highway Police (PRF) has confiscated over 20 tons of narcotics on federal highways accessing Rio de Janeiro.

According to the PRF, the majority of drugs were found in fake vehicle bottoms; the drugs were seized on several alternative routes used by traffickers to access the state, attempting to dodge police operations.

The PRF reported that with the reinforcement of policing on the main federal highways in Rio, the total volume of narcotics seized this year compared to 2018 increased by more than 66 percent. The use of sniffer dogs and increased intelligence actions have resulted in more apprehensions.

In 2019, between January and October, 19.4 tons of marijuana, 810 kilos of cocaine, 88 kilos of crack, 12 kilos of hashish, 62 kilos of skunk, and 39 liters of ‘lança-perfume’ (a mixture of alcohol, ether, and chloroform) were seized. In the same period last year, 10.5 tons of marijuana, 1.8 tons of cocaine, 9 kilograms of crack, 11 kilograms of hashish and two liters of ‘lança-perfume’ were seized.

Source: Agência Brasil