Cracking the Cocaine Cartel: Brazil and Italy's Joint Operation

Brazilian and Italian authorities initiated two operations targeting a transnational drug trafficking network transporting cocaine from South America to Europe via cargo ships and airplanes. Arrests and asset seizures were executed across Brazil, Italy, and Spain, spotlighting connections with major organized crime groups.

Authorities in Brazil and Italy have united to dismantle a transnational cocaine trafficking network operating between South America and Europe. Through synchronized operations, law enforcement issued multiple arrest warrants, including 18 in Brazil and one in Spain, targeting participants of this illicit trade.

In Italy, five individuals were apprehended, while in Brazil, officials detained 17 suspects, though a key person in the network remains on the run. This individual is believed to have connections to Brazil's Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), as 12 properties linked to him were blocked. The ongoing investigation also involves 46 search and seizure warrants across seven Brazilian states.

Consisting of a partnership between the PCC and Italy's notorious Ndrangheta, the crime network employed an intricate money laundering operation, reportedly handling more than 2 billion reais from 2018 to 2022. Utilizing Brazil's shipping infrastructure, the syndicate transported large cocaine shipments hidden among legitimate exports, primarily destined for Spain's port of Valencia.

(With inputs from agencies.)