Nearly three tonnes of cocaine seized in northern Brazilian port

According to the task force formed by the Federal Police and Customs, it was the largest drug bust ever recorded in a national port

On 4 November 2022, officials from the Federal Federal and the Federal Revenue Service (Customs) recovered about 2,750 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride from a container sitting at the Port of Vila do Conde in Barcarena, state of Pará, with the help of a sniffer dog. The drug was hidden in a load of bagged soya bean meal bound for the Port of Sines in Portugal. No one was arrested at the scene, but an extensive investigation was launched.

Early last month, in this same Amazon port in northern Brazil, police seized 320 kilos of cocaine hidden in a consignment of açaí berries for export.

Since 2021, over five metric tons of cocaine have been intercepted on what the federal law enforcement authority calls the “Pará-Portugal” drug route. Cocaine produced in neighbouring Bolivia, Peru and Colombia is sent to Brazil across the vast – and largely unprotected – borders of the Amazon region, from where it is transported abroad concealed in containers or hidden on the hulls and cargo compartments of vessels.

While drugs smuggled in sealed containers tend not to attract the liability of the sea carrier and crew, contamination of deck and cargo spaces, particularly in bulk carriers and general cargo ships, might result in the vessel being detained and crewmembers arrested for interrogation and possible prosecution.

Prevention and response

Detailed information on the shipborne drug smuggling problem can be found in our May 2021 circular and follow-up February 2022 article. These publications offer practical advice on preventing and responding to drug trafficking in Brazilian ports.

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