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On 27 March 2019, the Federal Police arrested sixteen passengers with drugs aboard the cruise ship COSTA FAVOLOSA while berthed alongside Giusfredo Santini (Concais) passenger terminal, Port of Santos, Brazil.
The ten Brazilians, three French and three Belgians (eight men and eight women) allegedly carried about 360 kilos of cocaine concealed in their luggage with the intention of smuggling the drug to Europe, next destination of the vessel after calling other Brazilian ports on her last voyage of the current cruise season.
Each piece of luggage contained sixteen evenly distributed cocaine tablets with about USD 1,000 in cash apiece, leading police to conclude that the detainees were acting together either as “drug mules” (people hired to smuggle drugs across borders) or as members of an international drug smuggling organisation.
The drug was discovered during a routine shipboard inspection by the vessel’s own security personnel, who reported the case to the police. The sixteen detainees, all under 30 years of age and with no criminal record, were promptly disembarked and taken to police custody.
After questioning, the arrested individuals were taken to a temporary detention centre charged with the crime of international drug trafficking. The vessel was released to sail to her next port of call, Rio de Janeiro, without delay.
According to local newspapers, it was the first time, in the 20 years of operation of Concais terminal, that there was a drug bust of this nature.
