Premium marijuana: navigation data extracted from seized drug jet

Paraguayan prosecutors are meticulously examining a Bombardier Challenger jet seized for its role in smuggling 261.6 kilograms of high-grade marijuana into the country. The aircraft, valued at approximately $4 million, was intercepted on May 30th during a clandestine operation at a private hangar in Luque.

Fiscal Ingrid Cubilla led the aeronautical inspection on Tuesday at the Paraguayan Air Force's First Air Brigade. The procedure involved a comprehensive structural analysis of the jet's interior and exterior to identify potential drug concealment locations. Crucially, data was extracted from the jet's navigation and Global Positioning System (GPS) devices. This information will undergo forensic analysis to provide critical technical evidence for the ongoing fiscal investigation.

The jet, with the registration N116HL, had flown from Miami, United States, with a stopover in Panama before arriving in Paraguay. Experts designated for the case will formally present their findings to Judge Rosarito Montanía on Friday. The investigation is part of the "Programa Colibrí," aimed at combating organized crime.

Originally valued at $19 million upon its 1987 launch, the jet's current market value ranges from $1.5 million to $4 million, depending on its flight hours. The seizure occurred as the marijuana was being unloaded from the aircraft and loaded onto a truck. The premium marijuana was distributed in eight large bags.