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Portuguese authorities have seized 3.7 tonnes of cocaine off the coast of Faro, in the Algarve, following an international operation against drug trafficking.
In a statement, the Judicial Police (PJ) said the seizure, carried out on Sunday, came after "an investigation that led to the dismantling of a criminal group dedicated to introducing large quantities of drugs into the European continent through the use of high-speed vessels."
The drugs were aboard one such vessel, "detected and intercepted around 80 nautical miles south of Faro." Investigators also seized “various objects used in the navigation and transport” of the cargo.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, João Oliveira, head of the PJ in Lisbon, described the group as "yet another international criminal organisation" aiming to bring large quantities of cocaine into Europe.
He pointed to their reliance on the "narcolancha", a speedboat used for drug trafficking, which is a method widely used in recent times.
One dead, two arrested
The seizure followed several months of investigation into the network.
According to Oliveira, a vessel "already on our radar as suspicious" had been reported to the authorities. Officers approached it on the high seas, where they intercepted a crew of three suspects.
The crew ignored orders from the authorities, and a collision occurred during the chase. One suspect was seriously injured and later died.
The two others, both foreign nationals, were arrested and will be brought before a judge at the Justice Campus in Lisbon, where any potential charges and pre-trial detention will be decided.
Code-named "Mare Nostrum", the operation was carried out under the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC-N), in coordination with the Portuguese Navy, the Maritime Police, Spain’s Guardia Civil and Italy’s Guardia di Finanza.