At a joint news conference in Lisbon with Spanish colleagues, PJ officials explained that the drugs found on a Portuguese-flagged fishing boat that was intercepted on 20 August came from Colombia. Fifteen people were detained in the operation, of which 12 are currently being held on remand. One of those detained is a citizen of Colombia, while five are from Portugal.
According to Joaquim Pereira of the PJ’s national anti-drug trafficking unit, the boat was intercepted some 15 miles off the coast at Peniche, in central Portugal, with the suspects putting up no resistance. It was, he said, fairly common for trafficking rings to use Portuguese fishing boats acquired in Portugal.
Eloy Quirós of Spain’s national police, which started the investigation, said at the same news conference that he was sure that the “circle has been closed” and all the members of the suspected ring have been detained.
Earlier, the PJ said in a statement that the operation had also involved 11 house searches and the seizure of the fishing boat, a speedboat and about €70,000 as well as firearms and ammunition.