Brazilian authorities seized over a ton of cocaine on Thursday hidden on a Liberian-flagged vessel docked at the port of Itapoa in the state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil, heading to Morocco, the Brazilian Federal Police said in a press release.
Local authorities stated that the operation was triggered after unusual movements were observed involving another ship transferring cargo onto the Liberian vessel.
A specialized police team conducted a thorough search of the vessel, which lasted over two days due to the ship’s large size.
The police arrested five individuals red-handed. The suspects, who are from the Philippines and Montenegro, were transferred to the nearby city of Joinville, also in Santa Catarina, for questioning.
In early November, Brazilian customs foiled a similar attempt, intercepting over 600 kg of cocaine at the port of Santos in the state of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil. The drugs, carefully hidden in commercial cargo, were also intended to pass through Morocco before reaching Portugal.
The ports of Itapoa, located on Brazil’s southern coast, and Santos, one of the largest port complexes in Latin America, remain key points for drug traffickers attempting to ship their cargo to North Africa and Europe. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the criminal network involved in these transcontinental operations.