Brazil court annuls drug arrest in Olímpia due to illegal police search

The Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) has ordered the release of Matheus Henrique dos Santos, who had been imprisoned since January following a drug seizure in Olímpia, Brazil. Minister Maria Marluce Caldas annulled the evidence and terminated the criminal proceedings, ruling that the Military Police search was illegal due to a lack of founded suspicion.

Dos Santos was originally detained on January 25 after officers observed him riding a bicycle. During the search, police discovered 44 pinos of cocaine and 22 portions of crack cocaine. Although officers claimed the individual was known to them for alleged involvement in drug trafficking, the Minister concluded that the police failed to provide concrete behavior to justify the personal search. As the drugs were found during an irregular approach, the evidence was deemed inadmissible.