Six British nationals have been arrested after police seized more than four tonnes of cocaine in what has been described as a record-breaking drug bust.
Officers discovered 4,426.2kg of the Class A drug inside a warehouse, with the haul estimated to be worth more than R$486m (£65m) on the UK market.
All six suspects, who are understood to be British citizens, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of drug trafficking and association with drug trafficking.
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The operation took place in Balneário Piçarras, in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, on 29 October.
The haul is the largest cocaine seizure ever recorded in Santa Catarina, according to the state’s Civil Police.
It is also potentially the largest single seizure in Brazil, although authorities have not yet confirmed this.
Police said the investigation had been ongoing for around a month after officers identified suspicious activity in the area.
Investigators began monitoring the movements of a white van and eventually established a connection between the vehicle, a warehouse and a group of foreign nationals.
Five suspects were initially identified before a sixth man, who allegedly acted as a lookout at the property, was located.
Officers moved in on 29 October, stopping the van before searching the warehouse, where the cocaine was discovered stored across several protected pallets.
Police also noticed a strong chemical smell inside the building, which they believe may have been used to disguise the smell of the drugs.
The operation involved specialist police dog teams, while forensic officers subsequently tested samples and confirmed the substance was cocaine.
According to police estimates, each kilogram of the drug could fetch around £14,890 on the UK market, putting the potential value of the entire shipment above £65m.
The six men were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and association with drug trafficking, with police requesting that their initial arrests be converted into pre-trial detention.
Their identities have not been released.
Investigators are continuing to establish where the cocaine originated, its intended destination and how it was being transported.
Police are also investigating whether other people were involved in the alleged trafficking operation.
Authorities have not confirmed that the shipment was destined for the UK, despite using the British market to calculate its estimated value.
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