Drug trafficking gang used 70,000-dollar seaplane to smuggle drugs between Buenos Aires and Santa Fe
A large-scale operation by Buenos Aires state police dismantled a criminal network with 14 raids, six detainees and an experimental seaplane seized.
Large-scale operation dismantles drug trafficking network that used experimental seaplane to evade controls
According to canal13sanjuan.com, a coordinated operation by the Buenos Aires State Police dismantled a criminal organisation dedicated to drug trafficking in the San Nicolás–Rosario corridor. The most striking discovery of the procedure was an experimental amphibious aircraft valued at around 70,000 dollars, acquired by the gang to evade land controls.
The investigation was conducted by Drug Trafficking Special Investigation Unit No. 1 with intervention from Guarantees Court No. 2. In the course of the case, 14 simultaneous raids were executed: 13 in Buenos Aires territory and one in the city of Rosario, Santa Fe.
The operations resulted in six detainees and two people charged. Among the seized assets are cocaine, marijuana, firearms, cash and vehicles, in addition to the seaplane.
The aircraft—an experimental amphibious model—was being hidden in a private hangar at Alvear rural aerodrome, a town in Santa Fe. The alleged leader of the organisation, identified as an acrobatic pilot aged 29, is believed to have acquired the apparatus to coordinate clandestine flights between the two provinces, taking advantage of river routes and airspace with less surveillance.
During the raids, authorities also seized doses of narcotics already divided for sale, precision scales, cutting materials and vehicles used in distribution logistics. The main suspects were placed at the disposal of ordinary and federal courts. Investigators continue to analyse the network's connections to establish the full scope of the air routes and locate other fugitives with international arrest warrants.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires