Preventive arrest of one of Lisbon’s largest drug traffickers

Heitor Brandao, a drug trafficker caught in an operation by the Judicial Police (PJ), was placed in pre-trial detention this Wednesday.

A 45-year-old man, considered one of Lisbon’s biggest drug traffickers, was arrested on Tuesday as part of a PS mega-operation with the cooperation of French authorities. In addition to Heitor Brandau, the investigation resulted in the arrest of two more men: his son-in-law and father-in-law.

The father-in-law, known as “the Frenchman,” was also in jail, and the son-in-law was at home. It should be noted that Marcio Marujo, Heitor’s son-in-law, was a tax inspector in the parish of Estrela in Lisbon.

According to the SP, the European arrest warrant issued by the French authorities required the extradition of the detainees to France, the country where most of the facts about the network occurred and were investigated.

Heitor Brandao was caught in a cafe he owned on Calle Possidonio Silva in Estrela under a European arrest warrant issued by French police.

The investigation revealed three cases of transportation of cocaine hidden in the hulls of ships. An organized group was involved in the importation of large quantities of cocaine from Central America, namely Brazil, to the European continent. During the investigation, which has been ongoing since the beginning of 2022, approximately 288 kilograms of cocaine and approximately 125 thousand euros were seized.