Trafficking at Guarulhos airport: employees recruited and nearly five tonnes seized in 2026
Employees in restricted areas of Guarulhos are recruited by criminal organisations to transport cocaine on international flights. In 2026, nearly five tonnes of drugs have already been seized and 274 people arrested.
Guarulhos employees recruited to transport drugs on international flights
A pursuit across the roof of Brazil's largest airport ended with the arrest of an employee and the seizure of 33 kilogrammes of cocaine. The incident is one of several under investigation by the Federal Police that expose how criminal organisations have infiltrated workers with access to restricted areas of Guarulhos International Airport, as reported by g1.globo.com.
According to the Federal Police delegate overseeing the investigations, Ivo Silva, the logic of the scheme is straightforward: "These recruited employees then ensure that the drug reaches the aircraft that will depart Brazil bound for the destination indicated by this major international criminal organisation waiting for its arrival in the destination country."
Invisible routes inside the terminal
The investigations reveal that the movement of narcotics occurs along paths that remain far from passengers. Security cameras recorded at least three distinct methods used by the groups.
In the case that ended with an escape across the roof, the narcotics were transported in the truck bed of a vehicle belonging to the concessionaire itself to the terminal's machine room. In another flagrant case, transport auxiliaries entered through service gates with backpacks and passed them to a cleaning employee inside a changing room without cameras; the material was placed in rubbish bags to bypass the X-ray and delivered to a passenger at a bathroom door in the departures lounge.
A third method involved cutting the fence at the airport's external perimeter to transfer packages directly to the baggage trolleys that supply the aircraft. In another documented case, an employee photographed suitcases with cocaine before placing them in a container bound for Lisbon — and was intercepted by the Federal Police before completing the operation.
Officers identified cleaning workers, transport auxiliaries and other professionals with access to strategic sectors as participants in the scheme.
"Reverse trafficking": drugs arriving in Brazil
In addition to the traditional export of cocaine to Europe, the Federal Police identified a new dynamic: the shipment of substances coming from Asia, Europe and North America destined for Brazil — a method that the Federal Police term "reverse trafficking".
One victim of this method was Brazilian Gabriele Amador Silva. In May, she travelled on holiday with her boyfriend to the United States and Canada. On a flight between the two countries, her luggage was mislaid and returned 18 days later at Toronto airport. Upon returning to Brazil with the recovered suitcase, Gabriele received a police summons.
"A suitcase with drugs was sent in my name at Guarulhos airport, without my knowledge," the young woman reported. The Federal Police located two suitcases abandoned on the airport conveyor belt containing 25 kilogrammes of hashish each.
Case of Brazilian women arrested in Germany
The method of switching luggage tags is not unprecedented. In March 2023, two Brazilian women remained detained for 38 days in Germany after tags were transferred to suitcases containing 40 kilogrammes of cocaine. The case ended with recognition of the innocence of the two women and compensation payment by the German government.
Record seizures in 2026
In 2026 alone, nearly five tonnes of drugs have been seized at Guarulhos. With more than two months remaining until the end of the year, the volume is already the largest in the airport's history. During the same period, 274 people were arrested for trafficking, including employees with access to the restricted areas of the terminals.
The Federal Police state that the objective goes beyond the arrest of workers: the corporation seeks to reach members of the criminal organisations responsible for coordinating international logistics. "We know that repression alone is not sufficient. It is essential that we also conduct work in relation to prevention," emphasised delegate Silva.
What the defence lawyers and authorities say
The defence of the employee arrested on the roof denies his involvement with trafficking and stated that the seized suitcase was not in his possession at the time of the interception. The lawyers for the other accused have not commented.
In a statement, the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) reported that it is studying the viability of new investments to strengthen security at Guarulhos. The GRU Airport concessionaire stated that it provides surveillance infrastructure and is seeking to improve it in cooperation with public security bodies.
Source: Google News BR — Crime