Brazil Police Uncover Public Medicine Diversion, Dismantle Grows and Labs Nationwide

Overview

• A 74-year-old was arrested in Rio Branco after a search uncovered more than 150 boxes of state health medications stored in a clandestine pharmacy, including cancer and hemodialysis drugs and medical supplies removed by truck for inventory.
• Police in Acre said they are examining potential involvement of health workers and mapping the origin and resale flow of the diverted stock, citing indications the haul spans multiple units and could exceed R$1 million in value.
• In Rio de Janeiro’s Quintino neighborhood, civil police found an indoor skunk grow with over 30 plants, lighting, refrigeration and irrigation systems, and seized notebooks detailing sales along with two cellphones; one man was arrested.
• In Contagem (MG), a home lab producing high-value marijuana derivatives (“ice”) was dismantled, with seven plants, seeds and processing gear seized; a 35-year-old admitted selling part of the output, and police noted production occurred even with the suspect’s young children present.
• In Pará, the military destroyed roughly 3,000 marijuana plants in Nova Esperança do Piriá with no suspects located, while separate actions intercepted drug smuggling by visitors flagged by body scanners in prisons in Palmares (PE) and Barreiras (BA), and in Santarém a woman was arrested for allegedly hiding crack with her 12-year-old son.