130 foreign drug suspects detained in Brazil's Sao Paulo state

Up to 130 suspected foreign drug dealers from 38 countries have been arrested so far this year in Brazil's most populous Sao Paulo state, an increase of 116 percent on a year ago, the state's drug investigation authorities said on Wednesday.

In the same period last year, 60 drug dealers from 21 countries were captured, according to statistics released by Sao Paulo's Department of Investigations on Narcotics (Denarc).

Peruvians form the largest group of drug dealers arrested in 2006, accounting for 14.6 percent, but in 2005 there were no Peruvians on the list.

Usually, South Americans arrive in Sao Paulo with cocaine while Europeans, Africans and Asians try to leave with the drug, said Emilio Braga Francolin, chief of the government body.

Source: Xinhua