Authorities seized almost nine tons of cocaine transported in the semi-submersible intercepted on Friday, off the Azores, in what “will be the largest seizure ever made” of this drug in Portugal.

The announcement that this seizure would probably be the largest ever in Portugal was made this Sunday by the Judiciary Police: “Around 265 bales of cocaine ended up being recovered, in a global quantity that we estimate at approximately nine tons, which – if confirmed, therefore after carrying out the appropriate weighing – It will be the largest cocaine seizure ever carried out on national territory“.

In a press conference at the PJ headquarters in Lisbon, the director of the institution’s National Unit to Combat Drug Trafficking (UNCTE), Artur Vazstated that 300 bales of cocaine were on the vessel, with around 35 remaining bales sunk, as was the semi-submersible, which prevented their seizure by the authorities.

A semi-submersible vessel was intercepted on Friday “on the high seas approximately 230 nautical miles from the Azores” in a joint action by the PJ, the Navy and the Air Force, “in conditions of extreme difficulty and danger, due to the current adverse weather conditions”, the police force announced today, in a statement.

On board from vessel, from South America and bound for Europe, they followed three Colombian crew and one Venezuelanwho were rescued before the semi-submersible sank, said the director of UNCTE.

The operation to combat transcontinental drug trafficking by sea, dubbed “Adamastor”counted on the “close collaboration and articulation” of the PJ with the authorities of the United States and the United Kingdom, within the framework of the Maritime Analysis and Operation Center – Narcotics (MAOC-N, in the official acronym), the note states.

“The investigation continues under the responsibility of the PJ, in conjunction with partner authorities from other countries, within the scope of an investigation titled by DIAP [Departamento de Investigação e Ação Penal] of the Azores District”, concludes the police force.

Authorities seized almost nine tons of cocaine transported in the semi-submersible intercepted on Friday, off the Azores, in what “will be the largest seizure ever made” of this drug in Portugal.

The announcement that this seizure would probably be the largest ever in Portugal was made this Sunday by the Judiciary Police: “Around 265 bales of cocaine ended up being recovered, in a global quantity that we estimate at approximately nine tons, which – if confirmed, therefore after carrying out the appropriate weighing – It will be the largest cocaine seizure ever carried out on national territory“.

In a press conference at the PJ headquarters in Lisbon, the director of the institution’s National Unit to Combat Drug Trafficking (UNCTE), Artur Vazstated that 300 bales of cocaine were on the vessel, with around 35 remaining bales sunk, as was the semi-submersible, which prevented their seizure by the authorities.

A semi-submersible vessel was intercepted on Friday “on the high seas approximately 230 nautical miles from the Azores” in a joint action by the PJ, the Navy and the Air Force, “in conditions of extreme difficulty and danger, due to the current adverse weather conditions”, the police force announced today, in a statement.

On board from vessel, from South America and bound for Europe, they followed three Colombian crew and one Venezuelanwho were rescued before the semi-submersible sank, said the director of UNCTE.

The operation to combat transcontinental drug trafficking by sea, dubbed “Adamastor”counted on the “close collaboration and articulation” of the PJ with the authorities of the United States and the United Kingdom, within the framework of the Maritime Analysis and Operation Center – Narcotics (MAOC-N, in the official acronym), the note states.

“The investigation continues under the responsibility of the PJ, in conjunction with partner authorities from other countries, within the scope of an investigation titled by DIAP [Departamento de Investigação e Ação Penal] of the Azores District”, concludes the police force.