Portugal’s National Republican Guard (GNR) has seized 5.3 tonnes of hashish and arrested seven men during an operation carried out over the weekend along the Guadiana River, in the Algarve municipalities of Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim, the security force announced today, 24 August.
The operation was conducted by officers from the Vila Real de Santo António Coastal Control Sub-Detachment, the GNR’s Coastal and Border Control Unit (UCCF) said in a statement.
According to the GNR, Spain’s Guardia Civil detected “suspicious movements opposite Costa Esuri, in the Corte Velha area”, in Azinhal, Castro Marim municipality, near ruins located across the river, on the Portuguese side.
The sighting prompted a “coastal surveillance and control operation”, involving land, maritime, and aerial assets, aimed at intercepting those involved and preventing any criminal activity at the site, including drug trafficking by sea, the statement said.
During the operation, several individuals became aware of the officers’ presence and attempted to flee, first on foot, and then in a passenger vehicle and a boat, according to the GNR.
The vehicle was intercepted “with its occupants no longer inside”, while maritime units managed to arrest the seven men aboard the fleeing boat.
All seven detainees are foreign nationals, aged between 21 and 39, the security force said. A further man was also identified as being allegedly linked to the incident.
The previous night, a GNR maritime patrol had attempted to stop a suspicious boat “linked” to the operation. The vessel reportedly “reacted aggressively” to the officers’ presence and attempted to ram them before fleeing towards the Esteiro de Canela, in Spanish territory.
The officers managed to prevent the vessel from carrying out the manoeuvre, the GNR said, adding that the suspects eventually fled on foot at the Ayamonte marina, while the boat was seized.
The joint operation resulted in the seizure of 133 bales of cannabis resin, hashish, with a total estimated weight of 5,320kg.
Officers also seized three vehicles, two boats, a pistol with a magazine and ammunition, six mobile phones, and more than €1,000 in cash.
The operation was reinforced by personnel and resources from the Faro Territorial Command and the Intervention Unit, with support from Spain’s Guardia Civil.
Source: GNR
Photo credit: LUSA
