Federal Police reports say there was no cocaine in the seizure publicized by the Revenue Service as the largest in the country

The Federal Police has opened an inquiry to investigate the circumstances that led to the seizure of a timber shipment suspected of concealing cocaine, after forensic reports concluded to date that there were no traces of the drug or any other illicit substance in the cargo.

In June of this year, the Federal Revenue Service launched Operation Timber Shield, which detained eight trucks transporting approximately 260 tonnes of timber on suspicion of concealing cocaine. The operation was carried out in cooperation with United States authorities and Bolivia's National Customs Agency.

In the Revenue Service's initial assessment, there were indications that the shipment could be hiding between 20 and 50 tonnes of cocaine. Had that volume been confirmed, the operation would have represented the largest drug seizure in the country's history.

Five forensic reports have concluded, to date, that there are no traces of cocaine or other illicit substances in the cargo. Other examinations are still pending conclusion.

The Federal Police is investigating the circumstances that led to the seizure of the timber cargo. The main line of inquiry seeks to clarify whether international drug trafficking actually took place, including verifying the accuracy of the information that the timber had been impregnated with cocaine.

Investigators also intend to identify the origin of the information that underpinned the announcement of the alleged drug shipment, who provided it and for what purpose, given the absence, to date, of any material evidence of cocaine in the samples analyzed.

In addition, the inquiry examines the possible filing of a false crime report, potential environmental crimes related to the timber cargo, and other offenses that may be identified in the course of the investigation.

As reported by Folha, Revenue Service agents detected that the cargo was entering Brazil, and the operation was launched in the cities of Corumbá (MS) and Cáceres (MT), both on the border with Bolivia.

According to the Revenue Service, a preliminary forensic test had returned a positive result for the presence of the drug. It was estimated that between 10% and 20% of the cargo's total weight corresponded to cocaine, based on other investigations involving the same method of concealment.

Finance Minister Dario Durigan had published that, based on shared intelligence information, the Federal Revenue Service intensified border inspections and seized the timber shipment.

"The operation reflects Brazil-US integration in the fight against crime, with the exchange of intelligence information," Durigan posted at the time.