Almost 700 liters of smuggled insecticide were seized on Tuesday morning in Papanduwa, on the northern plateau of Santa Catarina (5). The material was seized in a BR-116 vehicle.

Pesticides were stored in 34 gallons – Photo: PRF/Reproduction/ND

According to the PRF (Federal Highway Police), the driver of the vehicle with Curitiba (PR) license plates disobeyed a stop order and fled at high speed. After driving several kilometers, the driver and passenger left the car and ran towards a patch of vegetation.

About 680 liters of the highly toxic insecticide Paraquat were found in the trunk and on the back seat of the car. The pesticide was dispensed in 34 gallons. According to Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency), consumption of the product can cause Parkinson’s disease, hormonal disorders and increase the incidence of cancer.

The product was transported in the back seat and in the trunk of a car – Photo: PRF/Reproduction/ND

The passenger of the car, a 25-year-old man from Paraná, was captured by PRF agents, arrested and taken to the police station, where he will be charged with smuggling. The driver of the vehicle has not been identified.