Cocaine‑laden plane crash uncovered in Mato Grosso, Brazil
Police in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso located the wreckage of a small aircraft in the rural area of Reserva do Cabaçal, about 330 km from Cuiabá. The crash, estimated to have occurred roughly 60 days earlier, was discovered after a tip about the wreckage. Police found two bodies in advanced stages of decomposition among the debris.
Initial searches recovered 78 tablets of a substance identified as cocaine, and a subsequent sweep on 14 July uncovered an additional 46 tablets, bringing the total seized to more than 120 kg of cocaine. The seized material was handed to the Federal Police in Cáceres for further investigation. Authorities noted signs that the crash site had been tampered with before they arrived, and the investigation continues to determine the origin of the flight, the identity of the victims and any criminal network involved.