A manhunt is under way along the Guadiana River after a deadly confrontation between GNR police officers and suspected traffickers that left one GNR officer dead and three others injured.
The clash occurred late Monday night at around 11.15pm when the GNR Coastal Control Unit attempted to intercept a suspicious speedboat on the river, near Alcoutim and Castro Marim in the Algarve. The suspects, believed to be following a well-known hashish trafficking route from Morocco to Europe via the Portuguese or Spanish coasts, rammed the GNR boat, killing one officer and injuring three others.
Authorities later found the suspects’ boat engulfed in flames and are working to determine how the fire started.
Reinforcements were deployed overnight, and this morning, teams of GNR officers continue combing the riverbanks on both sides of the border with Spain for clues to the suspects’ whereabouts. Portugal’s Maritime Police, National Civil Protection Authority, and Spain’s Guardia Civil are assisting in the search, while PJ criminal police launched a full investigation.
The fallen officer was later identified as Corporal Pedro Manata e Silva, 50, from the GNR’s Association of Guard Professionals. In a tribute posted on social media, the GNR military police force expressed its “deep sorrow” and extended condolences to his family and colleagues.
Meanwhile, three injured officers have since been discharged from hospital. Psychological support teams have been activated to assist the affected military personnel and their families.
The Algarve has increasingly been identified as one of the main maritime gateways for drug trafficking into Western Europe. Its long coastline and proximity to North Africa make it a strategic route for smugglers moving hashish from Morocco and cocaine from Latin America into the continent. In recent years, heightened patrols and joint operations have led to multiple high-speed chases and drug seizures along the southern coast.
