Belgian tourist caught with 4 kilos of cocaine in Brazil just before boarding a plane | News

The arrest is reported by ‘R7 Brasilia’. The Belgian tourist was about to board a plane to Paris at the airport of the Brazilian capital Brasilia. The flight would first make a stopover in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Belgian tourist, who is not clear whether he is a man or a woman, was selected by the police for a check on the basis of a risk analysis procedure. The police found 4 kilos of cocaine in the luggage. The Belgian has been arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling.

According to the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, the Brazilian police are very active in tracking down and apprehending suspected drug smugglers. Offenses against drug legislation are punishable by a prison sentence of 6 months to 15 years. The effective sentences, even for minor offences, are on average 8 years and must be served in full, without the possibility of extradition to Belgium.

Just under a year ago, two friends from Brazil were wrongly imprisoned for drug smuggling. Drugs were also found in their luggage, but it later turned out that airport staff had tampered with the ladies’ luggage. They ended up being wrongly imprisoned for more than a month.