A record 48 tons of marijuana was seized in Rio de Janeiro, found on the roof of an abandoned building in Complexo da Mare, a network of favelas in northern Rio, after a police operation using scent-detecting dogs.

Police posted video of the seizure and the dog’s role on Instagram, with a post-mortem note highlighting the canine's contribution to the success.

The report notes that police dogs are routinely used in drug investigations, with references to previous large seizures and international examples.

The operation involved more than 250 officers and lasted several hours, during which drugs were transported in four trucks amid a gunfight, and authorities recovered multiple rifles and pistols.

The seizure occurred after a multi-hour mission that included a shootout; transport of the drugs took about five hours using multiple vehicles.

Lt. Col. Luciano Pedro Barbosa, commander of the Canine Operations Battalion, credited the dog with leading to the discovery, saying it wasn’t based on intelligence alone.

A sniffer dog named Hulk uncovered the stash during a routine operation against criminal factions.

Investigators found the bunker containing the drugs beneath an abandoned water tank, with the haul concealed inside.

Brazil’s military police described the bust as the nation’s largest drug seizure, valued at around 50 million reais (roughly 8.4 million euros), signaling a major blow to organized crime.

Dogs played a crucial role in locating the stash, underscoring the effectiveness of trained sniffer dogs in raids.

The operation underscores the scale and significance of efforts to disrupt illegal drug distribution networks in Rio de Janeiro.

The raid comes amid ongoing violence in Rio’s favelas, where criminal factions hold sway over large, densely populated areas.