Santa Catarina police arrest suspects and seize 487 kg of cocaine
On July 11‑12, the Polícia Militar in Itajaí executed two arrest warrants. One targeted a 50‑year‑old man for failing to pay R$61,769.15 in alimony, and the other detained a 43‑year‑old man for drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Both were taken to regional penitentiaries.
Later on the night of July 11, officers pursued a driver fleeing a domestic‑violence warrant from Camboriú toward Itajaí. The vehicle crashed near the Canhanduba neighborhood, the driver was arrested, and an 11‑year‑old passenger was transferred to child‑protection services.
On July 12, the Polícia Rodoviária Federal stopped a van on BR‑101 near Joinville. Inside, agents found 487 kg of cocaine hidden in tablets—the largest cocaine seizure on Santa Catarina’s federal highways in 2026. The 39‑year‑old driver, a São Paulo resident, was arrested and charged with trafficking.