The five men arrested this Friday, January 27, with 4,5 tonnes of hashish on two speedboats, in the south of the Algarve, they were of Moroccan, Spanish and Portuguese nationality. The indications suggest that the drug was to be unloaded in Portugal.
Speaking to journalists at Porto Comercial de Faro, where the two speedboats were taken, Fernando Jordão, director of the Judiciary Police (PJ) of Faro, explained that, of the five arrested, three are Moroccans, one Spanish and one Portuguese.
Although it is not yet known whether they have a criminal record, the head of the PJ said that "there will certainly be individuals involved in the environment, especially in terms of transporting drugs to Portugal or Spain".
The seizure took place, moreover, in an area that is already known to the authorities.
«We have seen an increase in this type of boats at certain miles from the coast that works almost like a warehouse waiting for the opportunity to unload», said Fernando Jordão, who also highlighted the «excellent coordination of the operation» that involved the Portuguese Air Force , the Portuguese Navy, the PJ and the National Maritime Authority.
Until now, the evidence suggests that it was «quite possible that the drug went to Portugal».
On the part of the Maritime Authority, Santos Pereira, commander of the Southern Maritime Zone, explained that the zone "is already known" by the authorities.
The intersection of traffickers went smoothly.
«When we received the indication from the Air Force, we moved the marines' launch there because it was faster. There was no armed response from the traffickers – one of the boats, the one that was loaded, even tried to flee, but they didn't have time», he added.
This operation began with an alert from the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) which was patrolling the area.
To journalists, Bernardo da Costa, spokesman for the FAP, explained that the crews "were surprised" by the presence of "the vessels", guaranteeing that the Air Force will continue to carry out these "routine missions".
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