Pilot arrested in Argentina for trafficking drugs in USD 70,000 seaplane between Buenos Aires and Rosario
A 29-year-old civilian pilot was arrested as the leader of a drug trafficking network that used an amphibious seaplane to move narcotics between towns in Buenos Aires Province and Rosario.
Pilot arrested for leading drug trafficking network operating with experimental seaplane between Buenos Aires and Rosario
A 29-year-old civilian and aerobatic pilot was detained as the alleged leader of a narcotics organisation operating between Rosario, Santa Fe and San Nicolás, according to infobae.com. The operation, headed by the Buenos Aires Provincial Police, included 14 simultaneous raids—13 in Buenos Aires Province and one in Rosario—and concluded with six people apprehended.
The main accused is Maximiliano Nicolás Cafiero, who posted phrases on social media such as "make money and don't look to the side" and presented himself publicly as an aircraft pilot. According to judicial sources, Cafiero allegedly purchased for USD 70,000 an experimental amphibious seaplane of the Lasermaster brand to transport loads of narcotics between the cities involved. The aircraft was hidden in a private hangar at the rural aerodrome of Alvear, on the outskirts of Rosario, which also functioned as a logistical base for the gang.
To evade roadside checkpoints during his movements between Santa Fe and Buenos Aires, Cafiero used a Mercedes Benz C250 modified to look like a false police patrol vehicle, equipped with police beacons and a siren system installed on the front grille.
The investigation was conducted by the San Nicolás Delegation of the Buenos Aires Provincial Police's Illegal Drug Trafficking Investigation Superintendence, under the involvement of Narcotic Drugs Special Investigation Unit No. 1, headed by prosecutor María Verónica Marcantonio. Financial intelligence and field work operations made it possible to locate the seaplane's whereabouts and establish how the organisation functioned.
Along with Cafiero, five other people were detained: M. C. S. (35), accused of concealment activities; E. G. (27), charged with drug trafficking; L. I. G. (49), identified as a street-level seller; J. R. C. (52), named as a member of the sales network; and W. A. C. (18), charged with local distribution. A 17-year-old minor, N. C. A., was notified of simple drug possession and released. G. A. O. C. (60), father of the main accused and identified as the financial administrator of the organisation, was also notified and released, though he was also charged with illegal possession of a firearm found on a property known as "La Casa Barco".
During the raids, more than 2.1 kilograms of cocaine were seized—distributed in one compact piece and 306 packets ready for sale—and 1.8 kilograms of marijuana, divided into four compact pieces and six packages. At the Alvear aerodrome, investigators seized the Lasermaster seaplane, the Mercedes Benz equipped with police elements and a Citroën Berlingo van.
Three firearms were also seized: a Rubí pistol calibre .32 and two carbines calibre .22, one of them sawn-off. All three had their serial numbers removed. Added to this material were 4,050,000 Argentine pesos in cash, five mobile phones, a precision scale and rectangular envelopes for narcotics packaging.
Justice has kept active international arrest warrants and detention requests against two other alleged direct distributors of the network, whilst the investigation remains ongoing.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires