The Air Force service member was arrested by Spain's Civil Guard on Tuesday at Seville airport, where the plane stopped before flying to Osaka for the upcoming G20 summit. According to El Pais, the illegal cargo was found inside a bag of Sergeant Manoel Silva Rodrigues, during a mandatory check. Spanish customs authorities discovered 37 packages of cocaine each weighing over a kilo, or about 39kg in total, which the Brazilian reportedly didn't even bother to properly hide before trying to enter the country.
Comment: That sounds like it was for personal possession. As in, the president's entourage...
The failed smuggler was arrested while the rest of the crew left for Japan the same afternoon. The aircraft will be used as a backup plane for President Jair Bolsonaro after the end of the G20 summit.
Spanish law enforcement is now trying to establish the intended destination of the narcotics. The Brazilian Defense Ministry pledged to cooperate with the investigation.
The Brazilian president denounced the arrested person. "Although not related to my team, yesterday's episode in Spain is unacceptable," he tweeted, adding that an attempt to use government transport for drug trafficking was "disrespect to our country."
Comment: Should 'diplomatic privileges' not have covered this? It would be interesting to know what prompted them to check the plane.