In a collaborative effort, the Tax Agency, National Police, and Judicial Police of Portugal, supported by Spanish authorities, have intercepted over 1,000 kilos of cocaine across Portugal and Spain. Originating from South America, the narcotics were concealed in two distinct shipments, with one batch hidden inside juice containers and another within melons. The operation led to the arrest of three individuals on Portuguese soil, with ongoing investigations in Spain.
The Portuguese Judicial Police initiated the investigation months ago upon identifying an organization responsible for smuggling significant cocaine quantities from South America into Europe. A shipment containing 535 kilos of cocaine, concealed in juice containers, was intercepted at the port of Sines in Portugal. The criminal group employed sophisticated concealment methods, potentially utilizing Spanish ports for their operations.
Following leads from Portuguese authorities, Spanish National Police undertook investigations, uncovering a shipment en route to a Galician port. The Customs Surveillance Unit of the Vigo Tax Agency, focusing on imports from South America, identified a suspicious fruit container from Brazil. This container held 21 pallets of melons, within which spherical rubber bags filled with cocaine were discovered, totaling 490 kilos of the substance. The operation has resulted in three arrests in Portugal, with the investigation continuing in Spain, where further arrests are anticipated.
Source: sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es