The cargo confiscated in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday was probably intended for several European countries.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 6/2/2023 at 10:43 AM, updated 6/2/2023 at 11:04 AM
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Cargo deposited at Lisbon Naval Base on June 1, 2023. CARLOS COSTA v AFP
Portuguese authorities seized nearly a ton of cocaine on board a sailing boat crossing the Atlantic from Latin America and arrested a 53-year-old man, the Navy and Criminal Investigation Department said on Thursday (June 1).
“The sailing boat was intercepted at sea,” Artur Vaz, director of the anti-trafficking unit, told AFP on Tuesday night about 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the Portuguese coast. of the Portuguese Justice Police during a press conference. After police located and intercepted this pleasure boat, they searched the ship and arrested “the only member of the crew, a 53-year-old foreigner,” according to a statement from the Portuguese Navy.
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“Operation Monaco”
The approximately 16-meter-long Polish-flagged sailboat, which crossed the Atlantic, was escorted to the Almada naval base south of Lisbon, where it arrived on Thursday morning. According to Portuguese investigators, the drugs were destined for several European countries.
“We are currently seeing large flows of drugs, particularly cocaine and hashish, entering Europe,” said Artur Vaz. But “large shipments of cocaine are mostly done via containers,” he added.
“Operation Monaco” is the result of an international collaboration between the Portuguese criminal police, the National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations (DNRED) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the American federal agency in charge of fighting drug trafficking.