The National Maritime Authority has already seized more than 20 tons of drugs in 2023.

The National Maritime Administration (AMN) has seized more than 20 tons of drugs this year, more than in 2022, with 31 people already arrested on suspicion of trafficking.

According to the information sent to Lusa, 20.20 tons of drugs were seized until Friday, which exceeds the total amount of drugs seized by the NCIS and the Navy during 2022, when 16.52 tons of drugs were seized in less than three months. drugs were seized, especially hashish and cocaine.

The drugs seized since the beginning of this year are almost four tons more than last year and four times the amount seized in 2021, when only 5.14 tons were seized.

AMN records also point to a record number of people detained or identified this year, rising to 31 from no more than six people detained or identified in 2022 on suspicion of drug dealing. In 2021, only three people were reported arrested or identified.

The fight against drug trafficking was also visible in the hijackings of speedboats: AMN reported that in the first months of 2023, 13 speedboats had already been hijacked, almost as many as the 15 that the Maritime Police (in cooperation with the Navy) seized in 2022. Registrations in 2023 are nearly three times the number of high-speed craft hijacked in 2021: five.

Most of the anti-drug activities were carried out in the south of the Portuguese mainland, with the seized drugs subsequently handed over to the Judicial Police (PO), which is the criminal police authority competent in this area.

The AMN also explained that the Naval Police and the Navy, and in some cases with the support of the Air Force and the SP, were mobilized to combat drug trafficking.