So, I'm trying to find this news in english but can't. You can see it here in portuguese and use the google translator if you wish.
Short version: The police stoped a car owned by the congolese consulate and when asked to open the trunk, the Consul said he had diplomatic immunity, the police said they would escort the car to the Federal Police building and along the way the Consul tried to bribe the police officers. Incredibly (for Brazil's standards) the police officers refused the bribe and arrested the consul, when they opened the trunk, they found one of the main drug dealers of Rio de Janeiro. I can totally see that happening with some Japanese consul hiding a high-ranked Yakuza or even some corp doing the same.

If that vehicle really was carrying diplomatic license plates, I think those cops will be in trouble...

Don't know, honestly. But I think the car didn't have any diplomatic plates.
It was the congolese consul for the Rio de Janeiro, it wasn't actually the ambassador.

Consulates don't have the same protective powers as embassies do.

Oh, that's interesting. Not as interesting as the Polish consul in Congo being a spy and trying to scam the president's influential friend on an oil deal, but pretty good anyway.

Oh, Consulates and Embassies are hotbeds for spies to operate out of.

They're usually a little more circumspect than the Polish one in that story, however.

Honest cops!? HERE?! Where is this world coming to?!

Sure, 'cause Brazil wouldn't want to sour relations with the Congo. Think of all the lost jobs!

Diplomatic immunity is a deal between individual nations, and usually stops way short of drug trafficing.

If the big pedia is to be trusted, a ambassador is there to aid the head of state of the nation he represents while the consul is there to help the people.

While the Congolese consul or his stuff may be immune to prosecution on some level, kidnapping and/or aiding a fugitive's escape is unlikely to fly. Diplomatic immunity is not the same as being allowed to commit crimes once they've been discovered; if I'm a member of the US mission to China, say, I may not be able to be PROSECUTED for attempting to kidnap someone, but they sure won't let me go ahead and finish kidnapping someone if they catch me in the process.

And is nowhere near the super magical protective power that movies make it out to be.

Iirc, the Soviets tried to send a tractor, part by part, as diplomatic mail at one point.

Edit: close but not quite, apparently. Seems it was a 9 ton tractor trailer:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2...iplomatic-pouch

oh, and while digging around i found this diplomatic "truck":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-dvYQMSkDI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O39t7jmZgW4

Like straight out of a Riggers warehouse...

Bah. Israelis sent a complete full-sized UZI. Apparently one of our state chiefs of police wanted it in the forensic department's collection (heard that story quite some time ago, but saw the Uzi in question - Hebrew markings and all).

As for the deal with Polish consul, it just so happens I wrote about it earlier. That was some good conmanship there, I gotta say. Of course, the consul bailed and set up shop in another African country, but the point is - he tried to screw a powerful guy over, fucked up and yet nobody shoved a machete up his ass. Karma Houdini, kids.

Or a case of not wanting to piss off the Polish.

This. For example, several attempts people being "renditioned" by drugging them and putting them in a crate labeled as diplomatic cargo have been uncovered over the years, of course airport security had the authority to act then.