World Customs Organization Operation COLIBRI ZAFIRO Leads to Major Cocaine Seizure in Brazil
Operation COLIBRI ZAFIRO, a 16-day initiative coordinated by the World Customs Organization (WCO), resulted in a significant cocaine seizure in Tocantins, Brazil. Brazilian authorities, specifically the FICCO/TO task force, recovered approximately 490 kilograms (1,080 lb) of cocaine near a clandestine airstrip in rural Pindorama do Tocantins in June. This seizure was the largest individually detailed drug find within the operation, accounting for about 40% of the total 1.2 tonnes of narcotics seized across Latin America, the Caribbean, and West and Central Africa. Officers also found an aircraft with structural modifications and arrested two men on charges including drug trafficking and organized-crime membership. The operation involved 19 countries and focused on private aviation, logging 1,938 operational events on the WCO Geoportal, an intelligence platform. WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders credited the network of analysts and field officers, emphasizing that intelligence sharing is crucial for disrup...
