Rio - Three tons of marijuana and semiautomatic and machine gun ammunition were apprehended by the police, Saturday (31), on the Presidente Dutra Highway, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

The drugs and the munition were hidden in a truck that was transporting sofas. The police estimated the three tons of marijuana to be worth US$ 656 thousand (R$ 2 million). They were to be delivered to drug traffickers in the Morro do Alemão slum complex in the north zone of Rio de Janeiro. Three dealers were arrested.

The drug and munition seizure is the result of Operation Frontier, involving agents of the Federal Police, the Department of Narcotics Control , and the Federal Highway Police.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Aécio Amado
Translator: David Silberstein
08/02/2004