Eight people were arrested in the southeastern Brazilian city of Curitiba during an operation against international drug trafficking via the Internet, Xinhua quoted Federal Police as saying. The police said the criminals sent prescription drugs on the Internet, especially morphine, sedatives and psychoactive drugs, as well as some drugs containing opium, to the United States, Europe and Canada. The drugs were disguised in vitamin bottles or hidden inside other objects to be sent abroad. At least four pharmacies and one medicine distribution company in Curitiba were involved in the case. So far, 12 search warrants have been issued. The police have already seized 22,000 reais (13,750 U.S. dollars) and 2,000 pills, a handgun, a motorcycle,10 cars and some forged documents. The investigations began three months ago, when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) contacted the Brazilian Federal Police about a seized shipment of pills. The DEA has collaborated with Brazil's Federal Police on the investigations, managing to seize 450 pills in the U.S. territory during the last three months, and arrested two people involved in the scheme last week. The names of the eight people arrested on Friday were not disclosed. They will be charged with international drug trafficking, medicine forgery, criminal association and money laundering, police said.
