Marijuana was destined for Brazil, valued at $4.3 million, officials say
Paraguayan anti-drug authorities seized 311 kilograms of high-potency marijuana concealed inside two pickup trucks imported from Miami, officials said Tuesday.
The National Anti-Drug Secretariat, known as SENAD, said its agents found the drugs during a routine inspection of a sealed shipping container at the Terport terminal in Villeta, south of Asunción. The operation was conducted jointly with officials from the National Customs and Tax Directorate after the container was flagged through risk analysis and profiling procedures.
According to SENAD, officers discovered specially built hidden compartments inside both vehicles containing packages of premium marijuana with high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the principal psychoactive compound in cannabis. One of the pickup trucks, identified as RAMs by Brazilian news outlet Campo Grande News, featured a more sophisticated double-floor concealment system, the agency said.
SENAD valued the shipment at approximately $4.3 million on the Brazilian market, based on an estimated price of $14,000 per kilogram.
SENAD Minister Jalil Rachid described Brazil as a voracious consumer of cannabis. “Brazil has an enormous marijuana consumer market, from common varieties to premium products,” Rachid said in remarks reported by Radio Ñandutí. He added that premium marijuana contains significantly higher concentrations of THC, making it more valuable and versatile in illicit markets.
Anti-narcotics prosecutor Pamela Pérez directed the operation for the Public Ministry, according to SENAD. Authorities did not identify the importer of the vehicles and announced no arrests. The investigation is ongoing.