MANAUS, BRAZIL — Brazil’s Federal Police agents destroyed an illegal airstrip built in a forested area of Tefé, in the interior of Amazonas state. According to investigators, the site was used by a criminal organization as a base for aircraft carrying drugs from Colombia.

The airstrip was destroyed during an operation launched Thursday (13), which also involved the execution of search and seizure warrants in Manaus. A total of 10 people were arrested, including one of the people responsible for the criminal organization’s logistics operation in Amazonas.

According to investigators, the criminal organization recruited pilots and enlisted business owners to facilitate the scheme. The group also financed the purchase of aircraft and the construction of illegal airstrips in forested areas to support drug trafficking operations.

The investigation began in September last year, after the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) intercepted and shot down an aircraft suspected of carrying drugs. The plane crashed into a river, and the pilot was arrested.

Image credit: Brazil’s Federal Police

Amazon Agency