Cocaine Worth $32 Million Found by Police Sniffer Dog Inside Truck of Cookie Boxes in Brazil

By Mary Webber First Posted: May 31, 2022 04:20 AM EDT

A $32 million shipment of cocaine was seized in Brazil after a police sniffer dog found the illegal drugs inside a delivery truck of cookie boxes.

According to Daily Mail, narcotic agents seized the huge cocaine shipment after stopping the truck as part of a routine inspection on President Dutra highway in Rio de Janeiro last Tuesday.

One of the police officers led the sniffer dog, named Enzo, into the trailer, where he was able to detect the 800 kilos of cocaine.

Brazil's Sniffer Dog 'Enzo' Discovers Cocaine Shipment

The 36-year-old man driving the cargo truck was taken into custody. He was charged with drug trafficking and could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if he is found guilty.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has lauded the sniffer dog for its part in the seizure of illegal drugs. Bolsonaro even shared a video of Enzo's cocaine bust on his Twitter account.

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Bolsonaro said it was the third seizure of the Type-A party drug made in May by the federal police. At least 2.5 tons of cocaine, worth approximately $87 million, were confiscated last month.

Enzo was also involved in a May 13 bust that helped police discover 805 kilos of cocaine hidden inside a truck that was also stopped on the same highway.

Gangs and Cocaine Trade in Brazil

Brazil has become one of the top suppliers of cocaine to Europe, making the country's role in the trans-Atlantic drug trade at a speed that has surprised anti-narcotics authorities.

Reuters reported that Brazil had become a critical launch pad to get it across the sea, with local syndicates infiltrating Brazil's ports to send huge amounts of cocaine on container ships bound for Europe, where it is sold for premium prices.

According to the outlet's analysis of customs data on cocaine seizures, Brazilian gangs are now part of the integral players feeding Europe's cocaine market.

Laurent Laniel, a senior analyst at the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction in Lisbon, said Brazil has emerged as a major exporter nation for cocaine.

Brazilian Federal Police Officer Antônio Salgado said that the cocaine trade is out of control, adding that people start to see plantations once they go up in the helicopter.

Brazil did not rank among major exportation ports for cargo ships caught bringing cocaine into Spain five years ago. Data provided to Reuters in 2019 by Spanish customs showed that the top five players were Colombia, Venezuela, Portugal, Ecuador, and Chile.

Brazil was on the No. 1 spot in 2018 when law enforcement seized a record 4.3 tonnes from ships arriving from Brazilian ports. Brazil was also the top point of origin for cocaine apprehended entering Germany in the same year, with a historic capture of some 2.1 tonnes.

Elvis Secco of a specialized anti-narcotics unit of Brazil's federal police said the country's three most notorious gangs were the First Capital Command, Red Command, and the Family of the North.

Secco noted that these gangs have proven skillful at moving enormous distances to supply consumers in Brazil. He said there was no reason to stop at the water's edge with thousands of cargo ships leaving Brazil annually for Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world.

Bolsonaro's government has reportedly taking action against the gangs by targeting their finances and moving jailed leaders to maximum-security prisons.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Brazil's Gangs Emerge as Major Cocaine Exporters to Europe - From Reuters