Brasilia, October 1 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Brazilian police authorities arrested 26 high-ranking members of a major international drug trafficking ring on Tuesday as part of a nationally coordinated campaign “aimed at dismantling a complex criminal organization.”    

Tuesday’s bust known as Operation Cardume, which was launched back in October of 2013 targeted key leaders involved in one of the country’s largest drug trafficking networks.

Brazilian authorities estimate the group was responsible for the sale of around 300 kilograms of cocaine per month, generating over $4 million in monthly profit.

Many of the individuals arrested during Tuesday’s sting were high-level traffickers disguised as business entrepreneurs, Brazilian law enforcement official Janderlyer Gomes de Lima explained.
       
“The leaders of this criminal organization are those, who, often, do not even come close to the drugs. They disguise themselves as entrepreneurs and invest this profit into businesses,” Gomes de Lima stated.

Authorities believe the organization developed various drug transportation routes, shipping the cocaine directly from Bolivia to Brazil. The drugs were then packaged and concealed in Cachaça liquor bottles and loaded onto airplanes with European destination.

Since the investigation was first launched, Brazilian authorities seized more than one ton of cocaine and dismantled three cocaine refining laboratories, including one in Portugal, with the help of the Narcotics Division of Lisbon.   

In recent years, Brazilian authorities have launched several anti-drug trafficking campaigns as Brazil emerges as a leading country in cocaine exports to European countries.

In June 2011, Brazil launched the Strategic Border Plan, aimed at monitoring systems and targeting routes used by drug traffickers. The Strategic Border Plan has two main pillars – Operation Sentinel, managed by the Ministry of Justice, and Operation Ágata, which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense.