Agents from the Department of Border Operations (DOF) seized more than 6.2 tons of marijuana in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, in the largest single operation by the unit this year. The action took place on the MS-270 highway, in the Picadinha region, during routine patrol.
Officers attempted to stop a Mercedes-Benz Atron truck, but the driver disobeyed the order to stop and fled at high speed. The chase stretched for several kilometers until the driver abandoned the vehicle in the middle of a cornfield and escaped on foot. Searches in the area did not locate the suspect.
During inspection of the truck, agents found bales of marijuana hidden in the cargo area. Official weighing confirmed 6,240 kg of the drug. The load was taken to the headquarters of the Specialized Police Station for Border Crime Repression (Defron) in Dourados.
Authorities estimate the loss to criminal organizations at R$ 12.5 million. The marijuana is of Paraguayan origin, according to DOF information.