Forty-one people were arrested in Brazil on Friday in connection with an international cocaine trafficking operation, Federal Police said.

As many as 400 police officers were involved in the arrests, which took place in seven Brazilian states, including Mato Grosso and Sao Paulo, and the capital city Brasilia.

Police said the investigation, which began in September 2007, showed that the gang received large amounts of coca paste from two Bolivian suppliers. The drugs entered Brazil by plane and were stored on farms in Mato Grosso state before being distributed in other parts of the country.

The gang's main clients included the so-called Primeiro Comando da Capital, the largest criminal group in Sao Paulo, police said.

Before the operation, police had already arrested 17 people. The alleged leader of the drug trafficking ring was said to be among the 41 detained Friday.

All of the accused would be charged with international drug trafficking, and some would also be charged with money laundering, tax evasion and corruption. If convicted, they can be sentenced to more than 25 years in jail.

(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2008)