Laurence Dollimore
A BRAZILIAN soldier has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine aboard the military convoy of president Jair Bolsonaro.
The airforce sergeant was found carrying 39 kilogrammes of the Class A drug at Sevilla airport yesterday.
The narcotics were found hidden inside an Embraer 190 aircraft being used by the Brazilian Air Force to transport military personnel who were accompanying Bolsonaro on his trip to Japan.
The plane, which the Brazilian president would use as a backup, made a stop in Sevilla from Brasilia.
Investigators believe the final destination of the cocaine was Spain and that the sergeant – and probably other soldiers from the same unit – were bribed to accept the batch on the official plane.
Bolsonaro and his closest advisers travelled to Osaka on an Airbus 319 and had stopped over in Lisbon.
The controversial leader, who famously labelled himself a proud homophobe, said on Twitter that he would work in full collaboration with Spanish police.
The sergeant suspect is being held by the Guardia Civil in the Andalucian capital and will be brought before a judge on Thursday.
He did not have diplomatic immunity.
The embarrassing event comes after Bolsonaro has vowed to crack down on drugs in Brazil.
He promised to ramp up the military’s role in the drug war by giving security forces more power to shoot and kill armed criminals and is making it easier for everyday citizens to buy guns.
If you have taken cocaine and you are worried you could be subject to a cocaine test, read this which explains how long cocaine stays in your system.
