In the early hours of Thursday, October 5th, two women aged 24 and 27 were arrested on the BR-381 highway in João Monlevade, Minas Gerais, with 10 kg of cocaine base hidden inside the fuel tank of their car. The arrest occurred after the driver disobeyed a police order to stop at kilometer 347 of the road and attempted to flee from a routine inspection. The police managed to intercept the vehicle and discovered the concealed drugs during a thorough inspection.

Upon being questioned, the women revealed that they had traveled from Campo Grande in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and were en route to Governador Valadares in Minas Gerais. The significant amount of narcotics raises concerns about drug trafficking routes and operations in the region, highlighting the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in combating drug-related crimes on major highways.

The case has been forwarded to the Civil Police in João Monlevade for further investigation, which may lead to larger inquiries into networks of drug trafficking. The incident underscores the persistent issue of drug smuggling in Brazil, exacerbated by the country's vast network of highways that facilitates such illicit activities.