The plane crash in the Bolivian region of Santa Cruz, in the east of the country, resulted in one deceased, one person arrested and the discovery of controlled substancesreported this Wednesday the Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castillo.
The event occurred at noon, near kilometer 80 of the highway to the town of Camiri, in Santa Cruz, Del Castillo said on his Facebook page. Information processed by special intelligence groups allowed the detection in the landing zone of a plane “that had controlled substances inside it,” the authority said. Realizing the presence of the agents of the Special Force to Fight Drug Trafficking (Felcn), the occupants of the aircraft “They tried to take off and run away. Consequently, they crashed in the undergrowth so the plane was destroyed,” said Del Castillo.
The body of a person who died as a result of the accident was found at the scene, as the plane caught fire after crashing, according to local media. Del Castillo confirmed the discovery of the body and also reported on the arrest of a man of Bolivian nationality, identified as Hugo PA, 30 years old. “In the same way, 2 jute bags containing illicit substances were seized. At this time, the case is under investigation,” he added, although without specifying the amount or type of drug found.
According to the minister, the intervention of the anti-drug force in this event is part of the ‘Tereré’ operations order, focused on controlling drug trafficking to Paraguay. Between January 1 and July 3 of this year, the Felcn seized 10.7 tons of base paste and cocaine hydrochloride and 100.6 tons of incinerated and sold marijuana, according to information released a few days ago by the Vice Ministry of Social Defense and Controlled Substances.