Brasilia/DF, Brazil – August 2020: The dismantling of at least eight clandestine laboratories between 2018-2020, which were dedicated to the manufacture of MDA and / or MDMA, is a new phenomenon in Brazil. MDA and MDMA are “ecstasy”-group substances often found in “ecstasy” products. Previously seized clandestine facilities were typically used for cutting and re-tableting imported “ecstasy”, whereas the recently discovered laboratories in the South of Brazil covered the entire production chain, including synthesis. The Brazilian Federal Police systematically tracks precursors and chemicals used to produce synthetic drugs and has been succeeded in finding and dismantle a growing number of clandestine laboratories in the country. Examples include a laboratory detected on the 4 July 2019 in Foz do Iguaçu, where chemicals and utensils for the manufacture of MDMA were found as well as methamphetamine and NBOH compounds apparently also produced on site. In another laboratory dismantled on 27 February 2019, a total of 39 kg of chemicals and drugs were seized, including nine kilos of high purity MDA in powder form, enough to produce approximately 390,000 “ecstasy” tablets. The most recent seizure on 23 July 2020, in Curitiba, Brazil, included 18 kg of pure MDMA and precursors enough to produce almost 900,000 “ecstasy” tablets.

Map: Location of “ecstasy” laboratories seized in Brazil, 2018-2020

Source: Federal Police in Brazil - SEDQ/DIREN/CGPRE/DICOR/PF

For more information, please see:

May 2020 - Bolivia seizes large amount of 'ecstasy' tablets from Spain

July 2019 – Colombia: Analysis results of 100 reported ‘ecstasy’/MDMA or 2C-B samples tested positive for 16 substances, including several NPS

Global SMART Newsletter for Latin America and the Caribbean No. 3, March 2019