The Brazilian police announced on Friday that 12 people were arrested for drug traffic in the states of Parana and Santa Catarina, in he
country's southern region.
According to the police, the arrests took place earlier in the day in the cities of Curitiba
and Pinhais, in Parana state, and Camboriu, in Santa Catarina. Other accused have yet to be
arrested.
A total of 30 search warrants were executed in the so-called Operation Albert Nieman,named after the chemist who first isolated cocaine in the 19th century. The operation was a joint effort between the local police forces and units specialized in the
fight against drug traffic and organized crime.
During the operation, the police officers managed to seize 28 kilograms of crack and cocaine, seven firearms, four bulletproof vests, and several vehicles, as well as 66,600 reais (38.720 U.S. dollars) in cash.
The police did not release the name of most of the arrested, but confirmed that among them is Marcelo Stocco, a well-known drug dealer which operated mostly in Parana state's capital city Curitiba. Stocco was reportedly the main target of the operation.
It was the second large arrest for drug traffic announced on Friday. Earlier in the day, the Federal Police announced the arrest of 24 people accused of international drug traffic in the states of Mato Groso and Mato Grosso do Sul, in Brazil's midwestern region, and Sao Paulo, in the southern region.