A complex operation involving police forces in Portugal, Brazil, the U.S. and UK intercepted a fishing boat “in the middle of the Atlantic” carrying over a ton of cocaine.
Destined for Europe, the haul was only discovered after the boat had been brought into Lisbon naval base.
Reports describe how the drugs were found in a concealed compartment, packed in 50 hessian bags.
Operation “White Sand” went ahead with the help of both the Portuguese Navy and Air Force.
PJ police were working in collaboration with Brazilian Federal Police, supported by MAOC-N (the Lisbon based agency set up to coordinate anti-drug trafficking action by several European Union states), the United States’ Drugs Enforcement Administration and the UK’s National Crime Agency.
Lusa reports that the concealed compartment was ‘difficult to get to’ and appears to have been made for the purpose of smuggling drugs.
The fishing boat set out from Brazil, and the police operation took several days.
It’s not clear where exactly the boat was intercepted.
Seven men, described as foreigners aged between 36 and 64, have been arrested and will be appearing before magistrates in Lisbon.
