The drug trafficking network dismantled yesterday by the Portimão PSP constituted «a structure with a good level of organization, dedicated to direct sales to the consumer», at festivals and bars in Praia da Rocha and also in the center of Lagos, he revealed to the Sul Informação Commissioner Fábio Coelho.
Speaking to journalists at the Portimão police station, the official stressed that the group was «especially active in the summer», namely at the music festivals that took place on the sandy beach of Praia da Rocha, but also in the bar area of this tourist resort and the historic center from Lagos.
Within the hierarchy of the network, there were «well-defined functions», of «leadership, direct sale, packaging and transport of the narcotic».
Following the mega operation coordinated by the PSP in Portimão, which lasted for 20 hours throughout the entire day of yesterday, 13 people were arrested, including 11 men and two women, between 21 and 66 years of age, having 14 more people have yet been constituted as defendants, all «indicted for the practice of drug trafficking and possession of a prohibited weapon».
The arrests culminated in an «investigation carried out over the last year», carried out by the Criminal Investigation Squadron of Portimão, together with the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the PSP in Lagos, under the direction of the Public Ministry of Portimão.
Commissioner Fábio Coelho added that, during the operation, 32 search warrants were fulfilled, including 25 house search warrants, in the municipalities of Portimão, Lagos and Olhão and also in the «municipality of Cascais», in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
The operation also led to the seizure of 4 kilos of narcotic product, namely 6775 doses of ecstasy, 5868 doses of hashish, 1809 doses of cocaine, 512 doses of marijuana, 425 doses of heroin, various material for weighing, packaging and cutting of the narcotic product , 28.602,70 euros in cash, four firearms and 185 ammunition.
Despite the seizure of firearms, Commissioner Fábio Coelho said that the PSP has no "record that the suspects have exercised any type of violence" against other people.
The mega operation had the support of the different areas of the PSP, namely the Criminal Investigation structure of the District Command of Faro, Rapid Intervention Teams, Special Police Unit Intervention Corps, Metropolitan Command of Lisbon and, also, with the collaboration of the Territorial Command of Faro of the Republican National Guard.
Fábio Coelho added that "10 of the detainees will be present for the first interrogation, before the Criminal Investigation judge, this afternoon".
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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