The “White Tuna- Cocaine Laboratory” Caseff

The Argentinean police of Buenos Aires called last June the local TV & radio stations and newspapers to provide the shocking news that had brought down a narcotics gang, confirming that 20 drug dealers had been arrested and that a laboratory -located in La Matanza-, which produced 250 kilograms of cocaine per year, had been dismantled. According to the police also empty tuna cans were found, which were to be sued as packaging material for the drugs. The Buenos Aires police said they were just in time to stop the last part of the drug traffic operation from going down: the export of the drugs packed in tuna cans. The name give to this operation by the Federal Court #1 of Mar del Plata was “White Tuna”. 

However, the Mar del Plata Federal Chamber of Appeals caused great confusion when it released most of the suspects and determined that there was –in fact- no narcotics operation, drug preparation-lab, or similar activity, involved.

This story about the alleged drug-lab was known last May 31st. According to Captain Vicente Vega from the Investigations Unit, “in September the police traced a house in Mar de Plata were cocaine was being sold. When pursuing the dealers, the police came across another five houses trafficking in drugs.

Captain Vega also indicated that the police had found two one-meter barrels supposedly containing cocaine (which turned out to be pig feed), two screens to dry drugs and four drums with chemical products used to separate the drug, in a house located Oro Verde. The authorities also informed to have found eight kilos of paste base, 20 kilos of cocaine and 10,000 tuna cans.

On June 21st, the Federal Court prosecuted 4 of the 7 arrested (not 20 as initially informed). These 4 were accused of producing and trafficking illegal narcotics. Another 3 individuals were indicted with possession of drugs.
 

The Police investigation commenced with an anonymous phone call received by the Mar del Plata Investigation Department.  The search was proceeded further based on conversation perceived from wiretaps and by information provide by an Official Inspector who was an only witness.

The Court indicted two of the arrested with “possession of drugs for personal use” given the small quantities of narcotics found. There was no further mention about the tuna cans found in the Oro Verde residence. The Defending Officer proved that they belong to the previous owner of the residence, who was a tin manufacturer.

The Chamber of Appeals confirmed that “there was no proof of any drug trafficking operation”.