On March 31 the Federal Police launched “Operation Tuupâ€, aiming to dismantle the criminal group responsible for the international transport of drugs to Central American countries, using aircraft acquired and adapted in Brazil.
Article continues below
The investigations had the technical support of the National Civil Aviation Agency-ANAC, which also helps the investigation team in the initiation of the police operation.
Approximately 60 federal police officers are serving six preventive arrest warrants, seven temporary arrest warrants and 14 search and seizure warrants, in addition to one warrant for the seizure of real estate, in the states of Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Goiás, São Paulo, Pará, Amapá , Santa Catarina and Ceará, all issued by the 4th Federal Court SJ/TO.
The investigations indicate that the investigated were responsible for the preparation and adaptation of three aircraft in the same private airfield, located in the municipality of Nova Ubiratã/MT.
The owner is also investigated for consenting to the use of the property, as well as for having helped the other investigated in the three criminal enterprises.
The aircraft were prepared by members of the investigated group in August 2020, October 2021 and December 2021. The first took off from Nova Ubiratã/MT in August 2020 and was used by the criminal group to transport drugs to Guatemala.
The police authorities and the Guatemalan Public Ministry reported the seizure of 735 kilos of cocaine on that occasion, also stating that the aircraft was incinerated by the crew, after landing on a clandestine airstrip two days after leaving Brazil.
The second aircraft was learned in Belize, also in Central America. It was found hours after takeoff from the Nova Ubiratã/MT airfield in October 2021, also used to transport drugs. Belize police said the aircraft was completely incinerated by the crew immediately after landing on a clandestine airstrip located in a region of Belize, close to the Guatemalan border.
The third aircraft was also prepared at the aerodrome of Nova Ubiratã/MT, in November 2021, and took off in December of the same year to carry out the international transport of drugs.
The Federal Police found that the planes acquired by the criminal group were registered in the name of third parties, who do not have the financial conditions to justify the acquisitions and do not have any type of relationship with the aeronautic activity, being used as "oranges" or "iron fronts". †by the investigators.
The three aircraft carried out irregular flight operations and contained fraudulent flight plans, also jeopardizing the safety of air transport, a fact that could also give rise to criminal liability for the suspects.
Those investigated will be indicted for crimes of association with trafficking, international drug trafficking and financing of trafficking, whose crimes are provided for in the Drug Law as well as for the crime of attacking the safety of air transport.
The name of the operation refers to “Tuupâ€, a word of Mayan origin, which indicates the action of “setting or setting fireâ€, conduct adopted by the investigated group to eliminate possible traces left on aircraft used to transport narcotics. ■