Agents of the National Police, in a joint operation with the Federal Police of Brazil and the police authorities of Switzerland, have dismantled an international criminal organization allegedly dedicated to the transnational trafficking of birds and animals endangered. The investigation has resulted in four arrests –two of them in Gran Canaria- and the execution of 8 simultaneous searches and seizures in Brazil (3), Switzerland (3) and Spain (2).
24 smuggled eggs under clothing
The investigation began in October 2025, following the arrest at Rio de Janeiro Airport of a Swiss citizen who intended to fly to Europe with 24 eggs of protected birds (Amazona brasiliensis and Amazona petrei) hidden under her clothes.
After various actions taken following that arrest, Brazilian investigators identified the two main leaders of the network: the leader of the criminal organization as well as the supplier and coordinator of illegal departures from South America. Furthermore, officers were able to verify that the latter had accumulated 117 suspicious migratory movements between Brazil and Europe in stays of less than three days to evade controls.
At the beginning of this month of October, the Federal Police of Brazil issued a formal request for urgent collaboration upon detecting a new trip by the supplier from Brazil to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with a stopover in Switzerland. In Swiss territory, the supplier met with the leader of the plot and both boarded a flight together to Spain.
Based on the evidence gathered, the Federal Police of Brazil urgently issued two International Arrest Warrants (Interpol Red Notice) for smuggling of species. Following this, the National Police proceeded to the immediate arrest in Gran Canaria of the two investigated individuals who were placed at the disposal of the judicial authorities to initiate their corresponding extradition processes, charging them with alleged crimes of belonging to a criminal organization and international trafficking of protected species.
Two arrested and two searches in Gran Canaria
During the investigation, and in order to guarantee the preservation of the animals and avoid the destruction of evidence, judicial authorities coordinated searches simultaneously in Brazil (3), Switzerland (3), and Spain (2). In Gran Canaria, two hotel rooms where the detainees were staying were searched, and 30,000 euros in cash from illicit trafficking were seized, in addition to criminal tools such as specific syringes for the implantation of microchips and animal identifiers.
In turn, in Brazil and Switzerland, six home searches were carried out, highlighting the discovery of numerous deceased tití monkey specimens, stuffed animals, and bone remains of various protected species in a Brazilian dwelling.
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