Source: Campo Grande News - Campo Grande / MS - GENERAL - 03/08/2010

In just 12 hours, the PRF (Federal Highway Police) made two major seizures of cigarettes. The total number of packages seized from January to August is almost double the amount for the same period last year.

According to the PRF (Federal Highway Police), at 16 pm yesterday, on BR-060, in Camapuã, agents stopped a cart full of cigarettes. Packet counting has not been completed so far.

The PRF reveals that the 38-year-old driver was arrested in the operation.

At 4 am yesterday, on the BR-163, in Bandeirantes, two people were detained accused of involvement in the smuggling of 20 thousand packages of cigarettes.

The first to be arrested was a scout, who was hired to notify the fellow on his cell phone where there were police checks. He was spotted when he was with the Corsa vehicle, plate HRI-5505.

Then, the police intercepted the Gol, plate HSC-8764, where the 20 boxes of cigarettes were.

Growth - The PRF points to an increase in the total number of cigarettes seized from January to August.

In 2010, there were 556.607 cigarette packages, compared to 2009 in the same period in 321.695.

Throughout 2009, 808.251 cigarette packages were seized by the PRF.