MANAUS, BRAZIL — An operation seized 2.5 tons of narcotics in the municipality of Coari, in the interior of Amazonas state. According to state authorities, the seizure is the second-largest ever recorded by the Arpão 2 Riverine Base, a unit that operates against criminal activity in the region.

Authorities confiscated more than 2,000 packages of skunk marijuana, totaling approximately 2.5 tons, in addition to 100 packages of cocaine weighing more than 100 kilograms. Four people were arrested during the operation.

The incident was reported on Thursday (June 18) after the Amazonas Military Police (PMAM) received a tip regarding the transportation of drugs aboard a fishing vessel traveling from the municipality of Juruá to Manaus. During the inspection, officers, assisted by a police detection dog, discovered the narcotics hidden beneath a false floor and inside the vessel’s refrigerated compartments.

The largest drug seizure carried out by the Arpão 2 Riverine Base was recorded in March 2021, when authorities found 3.2 tons of narcotics during an inspection in the Juçara community, in Coari.

Amazon Agency