Source: Campo Grande News - MS - GENERAL - 06/08/2009

In all, 14 carts and a truck were seized. The last seizure was around 19 pm. Upon realizing the approach of the first truck driver, the drivers of the others abandoned the vehicles at a gas station, on the banks of the BR-262 and in the city.

The vehicles were carrying hundreds of packs of cigarettes, which have not yet been counted. The estimate is that they took an average of 700 boxes, each, exceeding 10 thousand. The box has 50 packages with 10 packs, each.

The seizure is considered a record in the state and also one of the largest in the country. The cigarettes were smuggled from Paraguay and went to São Paulo, from where it is believed that the distribution would take place.

The PF continues to investigate to find out who coordinated the smuggling scheme. The case is also taken to the Federal Revenue Service, which will investigate the tax crime. Only the driver of the first truck was arrested and his name is not revealed.

The action started around 10:30 am. The police approached a truck driver on the BR-267, around 10:30 am. The driver's nervousness aroused the suspicion of the policemen who decided to retrace the path of the truck and discovered the other trucks.

This is the second major seizure in a few days. On July 31, police officers from the DOF (Border Operations Department) seized three trucks with 111,5 cigarette packages, a charge estimated at R $ 1,1 million.