Civil police from the Draco unit seized 3.6 kilograms of skunk, a high-THC variety of cannabis, and a firearm while serving a search warrant at a house in the Progresso neighbourhood of Santa Cruz do Sul on the afternoon of 11 November 2026.[1] The investigation indicated the house was being used to store drugs for a criminal faction operating in the region, and officers found 16 packages plus an additional quantity of skunk, a cannabis variety with a higher concentration of THC.[1]

The drugs were hidden at different points of the property, including inside a buried barrel.[1] Officers also seized an Argentine-made 9mm pistol with seven rounds and its serial number erased.[1] Police also found a portion of white powder, which a preliminary test did not identify as cocaine; it was sent to the state forensics institute for analysis.[1]

The man responsible for the house, aged 29, was not present during the search and was identified by police; no one was arrested in flagrante.[2] The identified man is to answer for drug trafficking and illegal possession of a restricted-use firearm, aggravated by the erased serial number.[1] Police said the investigation would continue to identify others involved in storing and distributing the drugs.[1]

Police valued the 3.6 kilograms at at least R$180,000, based on a street price of R$50 to R$100 per gram.[1] O Bairrista reported that the operation began at about 3pm and that police found 17 packages of skunk, as Portal Arauto also reported.[3] Portal Arauto reported that the operation began at about 3pm and that the gun was an Argentine Bersa pistol.[2] Portal Arauto reported that officers found 17 packages of skunk, one more than the 16 packages reported by GAZ.[2]