Infamous drug dealer caught in Budapest
One of the world’s most sought-after drug dealers was arrested in Budapest after three years of hiding. The drug baron was only referred to as the “Brazilian Escobar” by the press of the South American country.
He smuggled 45 tons of cocaine
According to the head of the International Crime Department’s International Criminal Investigation Department (NNI), the Brazilian man smuggled 45 tons of cocaine between 2017 and 2019. – reports hirado.hu. The 54-year-old man was wanted based on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol, said Colonel Zoltán Boross. The drug dealer is facing up to 30 years in prison.
But who is this mysterious drug dealer?
Sérgio Roberto de Carvalho – also known as Paul Wouter in Spain – operated a 1,700-kilo coca warehouse. – writes lavozdegalicia.es. In Galicia, a lawsuit was launched against Carvalho for pretending to be dead to avoid a trial from Titan III seized in 2018. The head of the National Police led that operation and arrested him. He went to jail, however, he was released after bail. But thanks to the coincidence of the fingerprints, his true identity was revealed. He denied everything and appeared in court every time he was ordered to do so. Things only changed after the prosecution’s indictment became known. They asked for 13 years and six months in prison. However, the drug dealer’s lawyer presented a (false) death certificate saying the man died of COVID. After this, he escaped to Portugal where he continued trading illegally.
The man was caught in Budapest
Finding the criminal was not easy, as he used more than ten different pseudonyms and false documents. And, – as previously mentioned – the dealer was declared dead a few years ago. At dawn on Tuesday, Hungarian authorities received information about the presence of a dangerous armed criminal in Hungary. – reports liner.hu. Just within six hours, the NYI staff made a move. With the assistance of the Counter-Terrorism Operations Unit, they identified and caught the man on the terrace of a restaurant in Budapest.
During the interrogation, the dealer denied his identity. He did not acknowledge that he was a criminal searched by Interpol. However, his fingerprint showed a match. Therefore, his extradition will be decided in the Hungarian court.
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Source: MTI, liner.hu, hirado.hu, lavozdegalicia.es