Man spends 21 days in jail after police mistake powder for cocaine

An Argentinian man was wrongfully imprisoned after authorities mistakenly identified 18 containers of talcum powder as cocaine, with tests to confirm the substance's true nature taking three weeks.

In early October, Maximiliano Acosta boarded a bus in Mendoza, heading to Buenos Aires. During a routine inspection in La Paz, gendarmes searched the passengers' luggage and discovered Acosta's 18 containers of talcum powder. Despite his explanation that the containers were for personal use, he was detained on suspicion of drug possession. Initial tests reportedly indicated the presence of cocaine, leading to Acosta's imprisonment without notifying his family of the situation.

“A lot of talc, little efficiency. A man tried to bypass a checkpoint in Mendoza, carrying more than 2kg of cocaine hidden in talc containers inside a long-distance bus,” Bullrich wrote. “But the Gendarmerie quickly discovered him thanks to his nervousness and suspicious attitude.”

Following Maximiliano Acosta’s persistent protests, the substance was sent to a different laboratory for further analysis. However, he remained incarcerated until the second test results were obtained. Acosta alleges that the police did not inform his family about his arrest and that his confiscated belongings were stolen during his time in custody.

“We called everywhere; we asked for the passenger list. Nobody knew anything. We spent two days without knowing where Maxi was,” The man’s mother said.

Maximiliano Acosta was detained for 21 days until further tests confirmed that the white powder was, in fact, plain talcum powder. Upon his release, he received no apology but was instead left on a country road, forcing him to rely on passing motorists to return home.

A spokesperson for the gendarmerie described the incident as an honest mistake. Patricia Bullrich, Argentina's Minister of Security, commented: “There was no flaw in the investigation.

MUCHO TALCO, POCO EFICIENT-E

Un hombre intentó burlar un control en Mendoza, llevando más de 2kg de cocaína ocultos en envases de talco dentro de un micro de larga distancia. Pero la Gendarmería lo descubrió rápidamente gracias a su nerviosismo y actitud sospechosa.

¡La… pic.twitter.com/nWmdEauzmQ

— Patricia Bullrich (@PatoBullrich) October 6, 2024

Talcum powder is often mistaken for cocaine, and the Security Forces had warned that it could be a false positive. Unfortunately, until this was confirmed, he was held in custody.”

As for why Maximiliano Acosta was travelling with 18 containers of talcum powder, his mother explained to Argentinian media that he had fallen on hard times and planned to sell the containers in the capital to make some money. The takeaway? Avoid carrying unusually large quantities of talcum powder—it might raise a few eyebrows.

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