Ronald Roland, a Brazilian drug lord, was apprehended by police after successfully evading capture for two years. The breakthrough in the case came from the social media activities of his wife, Andrezza De Lima, whose Instagram posts inadvertently revealed their location, according to Metro. Authorities had been monitoring De Lima’s social media accounts, waiting for a slip that would lead them to Roland. Her posts, which included geo-tagged locations and identifiable landmarks, allowed law enforcement to track their whereabouts. These posts showcased their lavish trips to various exotic destinations like Paris, Dubai, Maldives, and Colombia, providing valuable information for the authorities.
Last week, De Lima posted a photo that included a distinct landmark, enabling police to pinpoint their exact location. Roland was finally captured last Tuesday at his condominium in the coastal town of Guaruja. He was suspected of running a sprawling money laundering scheme and supplying drug cartels in Mexico. According to local police, the drug lord amassed a fortune of 860.2 million pounds over five years, which he shuffled through more than 100 shell companies and businesses. His wife, who was also involved in his criminal activities, used her bikini shop in Guaruja to launder money, sometimes receiving deposits that surpassed $30,000 in a single day.
Following his capture, Roland faces multiple charges related to drug trafficking, organized crime, and evading arrest. Interestingly, he was also arrested in 2019 after his ex-wife similarly revealed their location on social media by tagging their location in a post, leading to his arrest.
Reports indicated that police began tailing Roland in 2012 when he worked as an airline pilot. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sent a letter to Brazil’s Federal Police, warning them about an investigation into a group of Brazilian pilots involved in “cocaine smuggling.” Since receiving the DEA’s letter, Roland became a person of interest in several Brazilian police operations targeting drug trafficking networks.
