SANTA DOLLS, ORNAMENTS STUFFED WITH DRUGS IN RIO

Rio de Janeiro police found aholiday spirit of a
different kind when they discovered Santa dolls
stuffed with cocaine and Christmas tree ornaments filled with
marijuana in a shantytown near the city centre.

A police spokesman said on Tuesday that foot patrol officers found the
stash in an abandoned backpack with wrapping paper in it at the Coroa
residents' association headquarters, where toys are normally wrapped
and distributed for the holidays.

The cocaine, in clear plastic bags, was hidden inside the Santa dolls
under their red cloth hats. At Easter time, police found chocolate
eggs laced with the drug.

Brazil is battling a growing drug trade as pressure on traffickers has
increased in the neighbouring cocaine-producing nations of Colombia,
Bolivia and Peru. In the state of Rio alone, police confiscated more
than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of cocaine and four tons (3,600 kg) of
marijuana from January to September this year.

Checked-by: derek rea