Pilot accused of drug trafficking between Buenos Aires and Rosario used seaplane and fake patrol car
A 29-year-old civilian pilot was detained along with five other people for allegedly leading a drug trafficking network that operated between San Nicolás and Rosario.
Amphibious seaplane and vehicle disguised as patrol car: the scheme of a pilot accused of drug trafficking
A 29-year-old civilian and aerobatic pilot was detained as the alleged leader of an organisation dedicated to drug trafficking that operated between the province of Buenos Aires and Rosario, according to tn.com.ar. To transport the consignments, the investigation indicates he allegedly used an experimental amphibious seaplane valued at 70,000 dollars and an automobile fitted to simulate a police vehicle.
The principal suspect was identified as Maximiliano Nicolás Cafiero, who regularly displayed images linked to his activity as a pilot on his social media accounts. Among his posts he shared phrases such as "everything good starts with a little fear" and "make money and don't look to the side".
Seaplane in rural hangar and vehicle with sirens
According to investigators, the organisation primarily operated between San Nicolás and Rosario. Cafiero allegedly acquired the seaplane to transport the drugs and subsequently concealed it in a private hangar within a rural aerodrome in Alvear, on the outskirts of the Santa Fe city. That premises also functioned as a logistics base for the gang.
The seaplane was reportedly not the only resource for moving without raising suspicion. Investigators detected that Cafiero also travelled in a Mercedes Benz C250 fitted out to simulate a police patrol car, with beacons and a siren system installed in the front grille. The hypothesis is that these elements served to evade checkpoints during journeys between Santa Fe and Buenos Aires.
14 raids and six detainees
The case was placed in the hands of the Special Unit for Drug-Related Offences N°1 (UFI), under the responsibility of prosecutor María Verónica Marcantonio. The investigation was carried out by the San Nicolás Division of the Illegal Drug Traffic Investigation Superintendency of the Buenos Aires Province Police.
Financial and field intelligence work made it possible to reconstruct how the network functioned and locate the aircraft's hiding place. With that information, 14 simultaneous raids were carried out: 13 in Buenos Aires territory and one in Rosario. The operations culminated in the detention of the alleged leader and the apprehension of five other people, identified as performing various functions within the structure, from concealment and distribution to the sale of narcotics.
Drugs, firearms and the seaplane seized
During the operations, police seized more than 2.1 kilograms of cocaine—part of it distributed in 306 packets ready for sale—and 1.8 kilograms of marijuana. At the Alvear aerodrome, the experimental amphibious seaplane Lasermaster was seized, considered by investigators a central piece of the gang's logistics.
They also seized the Mercedes Benz fitted out as a patrol car, a Citroën Berlingo, three firearms, 4,050,000 pesos in cash, five mobile phones, a precision scale and materials for packaging drugs.
The investigation continues and the courts maintain international arrest warrants and detention orders against two other suspects identified as alleged distributors for the organisation.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires