Authorities from Paraguay, Brazil, and the USA collaborated in Operation Dakovo, targeting an international arms trafficking network.
The raids occurred simultaneously in these countries. A general and several high-ranking military officers were among those arrested.
The National Anti-Drug Secretariat of Paraguay (Senad) conducted about 20 raids in Central and Alto Paraná.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s Federal Police carried out over 20 operations across six states. The weapons, originating from Europe, primarily reached Brazil.
Diego Dirisio and his wife, Julieta Nardi, reportedly led this operation. They ran Internacional Auto Suply, based in Asunción.
This company imported thousands of weapons and ammunition from Europe. Countries like Croatia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia were the sources.
The arms’ serial numbers were removed to avoid tracking. Subsequently, these arms were sold to middlemen on the Brazil-Paraguay border.
These intermediaries then supplied them to major criminal groups in South America. To hide the money flow, the network used “doleiros” (illegal money changers).
These doleiros operated between Paraguay and the USA. They made transactions under $5,000 in different accounts to avoid detection.
In Paraguay, the operations led to over a dozen arrests. Arrested individuals included a general and a Dimabel official.
They are accused of irregularly authorizing weapon imports and other misconduct. The investigation that sparked Operation Dakovo began in Brazil in 2020.
Brazil’s Federal Police uncovered a complex, lucrative illegal arms trade. This trade moved firearms from Europe to South America.
Currently, Dirisio and Nardi are fugitives. During a raid on their Asunción home on December 5, authorities found an arsenal of various calibers.
This discovery further highlighted the extent of their operation.