The operation was carried out by the PJ police in collaboration with the navy and the air force, following a recent investigation by the PJ’s Drug Combating Unit, which involved an exchange of information with the UK’s National Crime Agency, within the parameters of the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre - Narcotics (MAOC-N), an international entity whose headquarters are in Lisbon.
Three men aged 38 to 51 of foreign nationality who were onboard the vessel were arrested by police.
In a statement from the PJ, information gathered so far indicates the men are part of a transnational criminal organisation with branches that stretch throughout Europe and Latin America.
The drugs were being ferried from the Caribbean to Europe, to be distributed among various different countries.
They were concealed on the boat in fuel tanks; compartments that were only found by the PJ teams following “meticulous and intense work” by PJ inspectors, backed up by PJ officers and GNR officers.
The investigation is ongoing, with the PJ collaborating with other international entities, including British authorities.