The National Unit to Combat Trafficking in Drugs, with full air and sea support from Portugal’s armed forces, has intercepted a fishing boat in the Mediterranean near the Straits of Gibraltar, with 10 tonnes of hashish on board.
The drug, packed in 333 bales, had been loaded aboard in north Africa but was intercepted and seized, later being transported to the Naval support area in Portimão harbour.
According to information from the Judical Police, the hashish was being transported on the Dutch registered boat to a Mediterranean destination, after which it would have been divided and distributed to other countries in Europe.
On board the boat were six men, two Portuguese and four others, all aged between 20 and 61 and all of whom were arrested without a struggle and no weapons were found onboard.
According to the evidence already collected, the police believe that the crew "was part of an integrated international criminal organisation with a strong network in Portugal that for several years has been dedicated to the trafficking of large quantities of drugs across several countries."
The successful Operation Levante, was a year-long investigation carried out by the National Unit for Combating Trafficking in Drugs, a division of the Judicial Police, in collaboration with Europol, the Maritime Analysis and Operations Center for Narcotics based in Lisbon, as well as the Spanish, French, Dutch and Greek authorities.
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The others on the boat - even if also carrying passports, photo ID driving licences, medical records, marriage and exam. certificates, property and vehicle ownership and travel documents, credit rating assessments - maybe even,if north European, dog registration licences, are just classified as estrangeiros (foreigners) in Portugal. Nothing more.