Israeli arrested in Brazil with 300kg of cocaine — report
Detentions of 23-year-old and alleged accomplice said to follow months of cooperation between two countries’ police
An Israeli and another man were arrested in Sao Paulo, Brazil with 300 kilos of cocaine in their possession and are suspected of being part of an international drug-smuggling network, the Brazilian media reported late Friday.
O Globo newspaper said the arrests were made following cooperation between the Brazil federal police drugs squad and the Israeli consulate in Sao Paulo, Israel’s Ynet news reported.
Another local report said that the arrests were the result of four months of joint work by the Brazilian and Israeli police forces.
According to the Hebrew-language Walla website, the Israeli was detained after trying to smuggle a smaller amount of cocaine into Tel Aviv, and police believe he was trying to see if he could outsmart the authorities.
Walla identified the second detainee as a 34-year-old Brazilian who owns the apartment in which the two were arrested. The website also said that the two had more than 500 kilos of cocaine in their possession.
Neither the Israeli consulate in Sao Paulo nor the embassy in Brasilia would confirm or deny the reports.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said in response: “We are not commenting at this stage on the matter and we are waiting to receive information from the Brazilian authorities.”
The Times of Israel Community.