RIO DE JANEIRO, May 21 -- Brazilian police have confiscated a record 28 tons of marijuana discovered inside a truck near the border with neighboring Paraguay, the Federal Police force said on Thursday.
The largest ever drug bust in Brazil took place on Wednesday, in an area between the towns of Tacuru and Iguatemi, in south Mato Grosso do Sul state.
Authorities uncovered the cache of drugs after a routine inspection of a hotel in the border city of Ponta Pora, where a guest behaved suspiciously when questioned by police officers.
Upon interrogation, the man, 38, said he was a truck driver and revealed information leading to the location of the vehicle.
Federal Highway Police located the truck and a search showed it was carrying some corn and multiple tons of drugs packed in small packages.
Cargo documents indicated the truck was supposed to be hauling 40 tons of corn, but barely had 6 tons.
According to the truck driver, the shipment of drugs was to be delivered to Sao Leopoldo, a town in southern Rio Grande do Sul state, which borders on Argentina and Uruguay.