One man has been arrested and €4.8 million seized in an operation carried out by the Portimão Criminal Investigation Department of Portugal’s Judicial Police (PJ). The illegally sourced cash was concealed inside a large hidden compartment in a van. “Operation White Web” has now entered its second stage, after its first was completed successfully back in February of this year
The operation, dubbed “White Web II”, was launched in recent days across the Algarve, Lisbon, Leiria, and Aveiro. According to the police, a man was detained on suspicion of drug trafficking, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation.
In addition, six suspects, two individuals and four corporate entities, were formally charged, while approximately €4.8 million was seized after being discovered hidden within a false compartment inside a van.
As part of the investigation, overseen by the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP), several residential and non-residential search warrants were executed. Authorities seized two vessels, a yacht and a sailing boat, alongside two high-end vehicles and various works of art.
The organisation, partially dismantled during the original “Operation White Web” carried out in February, is believed to have been responsible for introducing large quantities of cocaine and hashish into the Iberian Peninsula via maritime routes. The drugs were subsequently distributed to other European countries.
During the earlier phase of the investigation, officers located and seized an extensive cache of automatic weapons and ammunition, including six AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles with loaded magazines containing 7.62mm ammunition, a VZ61 “Skorpion” submachine gun with three loaded 9mm magazines, approximately 1,300 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, two machine-gun magazines taped together in so-called “jungle style” configuration for rapid reloading, and two Glock 17 9mm pistols equipped with extended 30-round magazines.
Authorities also seized seven articulated lorry trailers and seven high-speed boats suspected of being used in drug trafficking operations, as well as 22 vehicles, most of them high-end models.
Further items recovered included five motorcycles, three signal-jamming devices, luxury jewellery and designer watches valued at several thousand euros, a substantial amount of cash, forged documents (including passports, identity cards and driving licences), together with computer and communications equipment.
Source: PJ
