The National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) arrested an active-duty officer from the National Police during an operation on Wednesday afternoon in Santa Rita, Alto Paraná. The Minister of SENAD, Jalil Rachid, confirmed the detention of 37-year-old Tomás Alcides Trinidad Flecha, who was assigned to the 27th Sub-station in the Acepar settlement, Canindeyú.
According to authorities, the officer was intercepted while transporting 20 high-caliber assault rifles, hidden in a false-bottom compartment installed in the vehicle he was driving. The weapons, identified as FAL and G3 models, were disassembled to facilitate concealment.
According to preliminary information from SENAD and the intervening Public Prosecutor's Office, the shipment's initial destination was Ciudad del Este, from where it was allegedly going to be sold and later smuggled to criminal networks in Brazil. Minister Rachid stated that many details cannot yet be disclosed due to the ongoing investigation.
The detained officer, the vehicle, and the seized arsenal were taken into custody at the SENAD Regional Base in Ciudad del Este. Forensic investigations continue to determine the exact origin of the weapons and possible accomplices in the trafficking network.