Operation arrests seven on suspicion of international THC trafficking

Civil police officers from the Federal District, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo arrested, this Wednesday (24), seven people suspected of illegally importing and reselling marijuana oil. Two people identified as leaders of the alleged scheme were not located and remain at large.

Prisons are preventive in nature. The action, called Operation Refil Verde, was coordinated by the Civil Police of the Federal District, within the scope of Operation Narke, of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

According to delegate Rogério Rezende, from the Drug Enforcement Coordination (Cord) of the Federal District, the suspects operated a sophisticated international drug trafficking and money laundering scheme, with ramifications in different federative units.

Also according to the delegate, the investigations began about a year ago, after the Post Office informed the Civil Police of the Federal District that company employees had retained a suspicious package. During the investigation, investigators gathered evidence that the nine suspects purchased a large amount of cannabis oil from companies in the United States. The product was sent to addresses in Paraguay, mixed in pots of wax for hair removal.

“From Paraguay, the product was brought to Brazil via Foz do Iguaçu (PR),” Rezende told journalists. The product was then sent by post to São Paulo, where part of the group dissolved it. The marijuana oil was then packaged in bottles purchased from China, identified with a product logo, and resold throughout the rest of the country. According to Rezende, in just one month, the group generated around R$2 million through the scheme.

In addition to those accused of acquiring, preparing and distributing the substance, the alleged scheme also included a professional in charge of creating and managing the websites on the internet and social media profiles that the group used to sell cannabis oil and electronic cigarettes for consumption of the substance. This Wednesday, Anvisa banned the manufacture, import, sale and distribution of electronic cigarettes.

“At one point, the technology guy asked to stop being paid as a mere assistant, and to be paid as a member of the organization. Because he saw how much money it was generating and that he was responsible for organizing the technological arm”, commented Rezende, revealing that the boy was detained in Rio de Janeiro. According to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, the arrest took place in Nova Iguaçu, in Baixada Fluminense (RJ).

According to investigators, the suspects opened fraudulent bank accounts in the names of third parties, circumventing facial recognition technologies. They also created shell companies and used false documents to try to prevent public authorities from identifying the existence of a “complex system of money laundering from the illicit drug market”.

Influencers

The group also had the visibility of digital influencers from different regions, hired to “promote the products”, expanding sales throughout the country. Three influencers from Brasilia with thousands of followers on social media are among the seven people arrested this morning.

“These influencers were responsible for advertising the drug. [Em vídeos, elas] They smoked it, talked about how high it was and sold it. We still don’t know if they were remunerated based on a percentage of sales or if there was a monthly payment”, added Rezende, highlighting that those being investigated may also be responsible for crimes against public health.

“When purchasing this type of product, the person, in addition to consuming THC [tetrahidrocarbinol], you are ingesting other chemicals. Imagine the harm this does to the person. That’s why we have to crack down on this type of criminal activity. Because in addition to the criminal issue, it is also a very serious public health issue”, concluded Rezende, adding that the police authorities will ask that all websites, social media profiles and publications associated with the oil supply be taken down.

THC, along with cannabidiol (CBD), is one of the compounds in Cannabis sativastudied both for its psychoactive properties and its therapeutic potential.