Brazil raids traffickers smuggling cocaine to Europe

RIO DE JANEIRO Brazilian Federal Police said Tuesday they were raiding more than 100 properties and seeking to arrest dozens of people in a crackdown on smuggling rings that shipped tons of cocaine within Brazil and to Europe.

Police said the operation targeted four separate criminal groups that sent cocaine through Brazilian ports, notably through the northern city of Natal. At least some of the drugs had been smuggled into Brazil across the Paraguayan border.

Police said they had 139 search warrants and 50 arrest warrants in operations taking place in 12 states and the federal district of Brasilia. They were also attempting to seize seven airplanes, five helicopters, 42 trucks and a dozen buildings.

The investigations began in 2018 in cooperation with the UKs National Crime Agency. Police said that 12 people already had arrested and more than 11 tons of cocaine confiscated in the course of those investigations.

They said traffickers have continued to operate even during the coronavirus pandemic. From March through July, police said, they confiscated a ton and a half of drugs.

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