In a recent drug bust centred on the Vale do Lobo beach, police officers seized three cars, a boat and a total of 150 kilos of hashish. Officers from the Policía Judiciária (PJ), the Almancil GNR and the Maritime Police were called to the beach after a Vale do Lobo security guard noticed five suspicious men unloading boxes from a boat late at night. Despite the number of police officers at the scene, four drug smugglers managed to escape from the police patrol and only one was arrested. According to sources, several hours after the drug bust occurred, three packages containing the illegal drug were washed ashore. A police spokesperson revealed that the drugs originally came from Spain and that the boat and the three cars used by the smugglers had Spanish number plates. Two days later, an Almancil GNR patrol reported finding another package of hashish, which was also washed ashore on Vale do Lobo beach. The Maritime Police have ordered a thorough search of the coastline in the area, in case more of the illegal drugs wash up.
Update: The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) has since confirmed that the four individuals who had escaped have been captured and are currently in preventative prison. The drug smugglers, all aged between 30 and 40, have been identified as Spanish residents.
