Brazil News
RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilian Federal Police (PF) seized about 2000 cases of Paraguayan cigarettes smuggled into the country Friday. The seizure occurred in the cities of Santa Terezinha de Itaipu and Medianeira, in western Parana near the international border with Paraguay.
Due to high tobacco taxes, cigarettes in Brazil cost almost three times as much as they do in Paraguay, which has emerged as the principle supplier of untaxed tobacco products. In addition to tobacco, Paraguay supplies marijuana, hashish, firearms (mostly Brazilian made) and consumer electronics to Brazil’s black market.
Police received a tip warning them of three trucks carrying smuggled Paraguayan cigarettes, two of which they located and stopped at a roadblock on the BR-277 near Medianeira. They found the third truck in Santa Terezinha, ready to move on.
Police arrested all three drivers and seized the contraband. The federal agents took the trucks, merchandise and prisoners to the Federal Police station in Iguazu Falls, in western Parana.
In a separate action Friday afternoon, the Federal Highway Police (PRF) seized cigarettes on the BR-163, near Realeza, a small town in southwestern Parana. In that incident, the PRF seized 350 cartons of smuggled cigarettes.
In this case, the police forwarded the vehicle, driver and cigarettes to the headquarters of the Receita Federal, similar to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, in Capanema, Parana.
