Sharp-eyed service station staff were suspicious of three men acting strangely, so called the police in the early hours of Saturday morning.
At 05:00 the men were observed by members of staff at the Via do Infante services at Loulé to be conducting some sort of deal.
The GNR were called and officers, deciding the men looked highly dodgy, searched them and arrested them for drug trafficking despite no drugs being found.
It was straight off to Faro hospital for the suspects to allow nature to take its course. Over time, enough hashish for 21,000 joins was expelled in the form of large pellets that two 'drug mules' had swallowed.
The drugs were described by the GNR as "hashish pollen, packaged in the form of acorns, enough for 21,250 individual doses."
In addition to the drugs the GNR went to the suspects’ homes and seized two cars, four mobile phones, 1,340 Morocan dirhams (€120) and €20.
Feeling pounds lighter, the detainees shortly are to be presented in court so they can explain themselves.
