Operation Squid swoops on warehouse in west of country
A criminal network trafficking cocaine hidden in frozen fish has been dismantled by Portugal’s PJ criminal investigation police which has subsequently seized 1,300 kilos of the drug, the force announced today.
In a statement, the PJ explained the network was dedicated to international drug trafficking by sea: seven men of various nationalities have been arrested as part of so-called ‘Operation Squid’, overseen by the PJ’s drug combat unit.
According to the force, “it was possible to locate and then intercept a cargo of frozen fish with large quantities of cocaine inside from Ecuador, unloaded in the Port of Lisbon, in a warehouse in the west of the country”.
“The way in which the drug was concealed made it extremely difficult to detect. In order to remove it, the fish had to be completely destroyed,” the statement adds.
“Among seven detainees, aged between 26 and 59, are those mainly responsible for importing and distributing the cocaine.”
In the course of Operation Squid, several home and non-home searches were carried out which led to the seizure of firearms, high-end vehicles, as well as various documents and objects relevant to the case.
The arrested, all suspected of being part of an organised criminal structure dedicated to importing and distributing large quantities of cocaine imported from Latin America to different European countries, will now be brought before the judicial authorities to hear bail terms (if any).
Source: LUSA
