SAO PAULO - a crime gang allegedly led by Serbs was swept by the Brazilian police, highlight a growing problem for the largest countries in South America - foreign cartels using more and more as a corridor to export cocaine from the Mainland in Europe and elsewhere.
Security experts said also the existence of such organized crime in Latin America not only destabilises the region, but could be dangerous for the United States and other nations because of doubts that funding terror groups can use in the lawless areas to raise funds.
Sixteen suspected members of the Serbian gang were arrested between Thursday and Sunday across the country, the federal police confirmed Friday. Some were captured the remote Amazon long border of the Brazil Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina and other international transport centres such as Sao Paulo.
Brazilian police said that eight of the arrested persons were citizens Serbs and the Serbian Government requested the extradition of the man suspected of leading the group.
The Brazil police would not identify the suspects. But the Minister of justice of Serbia, Snezana Malovic, said they included Goran Nesic and Dejan Stojanovic, who are on the list of the most sought-after in this country. He said that Serbia will seek their extradition.
Nesic was convicted of drug trafficking in Serbia and fled before he could serve his sentence of eight years, said Malovic. Stojanovic, also known as the Keka, is wanted for armed robbery.
Said Serb officials that they have worked with the authorities Brazilian and the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States on the case. Office of the DEA in Washington confirmed the Agency participated in the investigation, but provided no other details.
The crackdown concluded a two-year operation that gave rise to 35 arrests, of the seizure of 1 370 lb (620 kg) of cocaine and the equivalent of $ 1.2 million.
Walter Maierovitch, the former drug czar of the Brazil, said Serb gangs have worked at the Brazil for at least a decade, as are other international criminal organizations.
"The Brazil is used as a corridor bidirectional by drug traffickers who receive medication of quality of the export of the Colombia and the Peru and shipped to Africa for the purpose of transhipment in Europe and Asia," said Maierovitch. "The Brazil is also the only country in Latin America that produces chemicals necessary to convert the leaves of coca paste."
He added that the Bolivia is a supplier of cocaine low content primarily for the Brazilian market, while US authorities have said foreign traffickers recently have implemented sophisticated labs it using Colombian technology.
Last year while serving as bodyguards for a local dealer, three Serbs were killed in Bolivia.
Maierovitch said the Brazil economic boom is attracting more foreign criminals.
"That its economy is growing stronger and attracts more and more investment, it is also attracting more attention from international drug traffickers launder the profits they make drugs, the Brazil,"he says."
A way to hide the profits of the drug buy real estate, Maierovitch said, and the Brazil became one of the hottest goods in the Western hemisphere markets. Police said that a Federal Court ordered the seizure of the assets of the suspects, which included 31 buildings, 15 vehicles of luxury and three boats, with an estimated overall value of $ 16 million.
The head of Southern Command of the US Army, said Monday in Miami that the United States must recognize the growing threat of transnational criminal organizations in Latin America.
"We have a key threat that we need to focus on and it is transnational criminal organizations," General Douglas Fraser told a conference organized by Center of the University of Miami for policy in the hemisphere.
Fraser, said that the concern is not just drug trafficking, but also trade of arms, money laundering and trafficking human.
He said countries that have the means or combat growing criminal enterprises within their borders could become places where terrorist organizations can raise funds and organize.
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