Six men arrested on Wednesday in Albufeira on suspicion of drug trafficking in an operation that seized 1.2 tons of cocaine are in custody, the Ministry of Public Administration (MP) said on Friday.
According to a report released this Friday by the Central Directorate for Investigation and Criminal Affairs (GUSIN), which is leading the investigation with the support of the Southern Directorate of the Judicial Police (UP), the six defendants appeared for the first court interrogation in the pre-trial detention center. The Central Criminal Court in Lisbon, where they were subjected to the most severe measure of coercion at the request of the deputy.
In addition to seizing more than a ton of cocaine, the authorities also seized about one million euros in cash, a truck, and other items and documents.
The six detainees are of different nationalities (Portuguese, Brazilian, Croatian and Italian) and are suspected of committing crimes related to aggravated drug trafficking and the criminal community.
“There are indications that the detainees are part of an international criminal organization involved in the transportation of large quantities of cocaine by sea from South America, where it is produced, to Europe through Portugal,” it says. if in a press release.
According to information released by PJ on Thursday at a press conference, the group belongs to a “very powerful network” that will have a logistics base in the Algarve, with Portugal being the “gateway” for subsequent distribution in Europe.
“In fact, we are facing a very powerful network, both in terms of logistics and in terms of controlling the drug product itself until it reaches the end markets, and above all, a network that has a very, very large financial strength. have access to these quantities,” said Fernando Jordão, head of the PJ southern board.
According to Fernando Jordão, it is also being investigated whether this network has links with others operating in the country, possibly with groups that increase hashish trafficking outside the Algarve.