The arrest was made on 7 February by the Judicial Police (PJ) at Humberto Delgado Airport during an operation to combat drug trafficking. The foreign citizen had 3,300 kilos of drugs in his possession, which corresponds to 16,500 doses.

According to the PJ, "this is another operation that falls within the activity regularly carried out by UNCTE, aimed at preventing and hindering the entry of drugs into national territory by air," reaffirming "its commitment to combating drug trafficking and continuing to protect Portuguese society from the devastating effects caused by drug trafficking."