Hidden against the body, in soap powder boxes, in vehicle false bottoms, inside tires, and even in dulce de leche jars — the strategies of smugglers of weight-loss drugs from Paraguay are multiplying. In most cases, seizures involve vials of tirzepatide, a substance used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Data from the Federal Revenue Service in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, indicate that seizures of slimming drugs increased sevenfold compared to the same period last year. Federal Police delegate Emerson Rodrigues described the growth as “absurd” and said the phenomenon requires a new strategy for joint action between Paraguay and Brazil.
“It is a serious crime against public health. We are working, but it is very difficult because there is a very large flow of drugs. I believe we will need to make an adjustment, perhaps at the level of cooperation with Paraguay, to try to reduce this type of crime that has grown a lot,” Rodrigues said.
The smuggling involves both large organized criminal groups and individuals who, driven by profit, start reselling the drugs in Brazil. “There are organized groups that take large quantities of drugs because they seek profit. Before it was cigarettes, then electronic cigarettes, and today it is drugs and anabolic steroids. There is also a flow of many people who take small quantities to sell and then increase the volume. It is a broad front because it involves both organized groups and scattered groups,” the delegate detailed.
The main smuggling route is the Friendship Bridge, which connects Ciudad del Este to Foz do Iguaçu. Unlike high-volume products such as marijuana and electronic cigarettes, which use the Itaipu Lake and the Paraná River, the drugs take up little space and are easily concealed. “The drug takes up little space, so we have so many seizures on the bridge. But we also have seizures throughout the state of Paraná and beyond; even at the airport we have many cases. Since it is a small volume, it is easy for people to hide it to transport,” Rodrigues explained.
The price difference between the two countries is the main driver of smuggling. While in Paraguay a vial of tirzepatide costs between 500,000 and 700,000 guaranis, in Brazil the same product is sold for 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 guaranis. In Paraguay, there is a wide variety of brands and presentations of the drug; in Brazil, only one pharmaceutical company is authorized to manufacture it, which limits supply and keeps prices high.