Portugal’s National Republican Guard (GNR) has arrested one man and seized two Kalashnikov assault rifles, nine vehicles, a boat fitted with two engines, and around 10,000 litres of fuel during a nationwide operation targeting maritime drug trafficking in Sagres, and the Guadiana River in the Algarve, and Esposende, in northern Portugal, on the night of 21–22 October.
The operations also resulted in another man being formally named a suspect, with a 15-year-old boy being intercepted. According to the GNR, the seized fuel was intended to supply high-speed boats used in drug trafficking.
In Sagres, officers seized a van and around 3,750 litres of fuel at Baleeira fishing port. The GNR also took part in a joint operation with Spanish authorities on the Guadiana River, during which 57 bales of hashish were seized.
The operation in Sagres took place at around 5am on Thursday, 22 October, following a report of a suspected transfer of fuel from a van to a high-speed boat.
The operation was carried out by officers from the Coastal and Border Control Unit (UCCF) and the Faro Territorial Command, including the Vila do Bispo Territorial Post and the Lagos Territorial Detachment. One individual was intercepted and a light commercial vehicle was seized, along with the fuel, which was stored in 150 containers.
According to the GNR, the intervention prevented the boat from being refuelled, although it managed to escape the scene by sea.
On the Guadiana River, an alert from the Castro Marim/Ayamonte Police and Customs Cooperation Centre reported that a high-speed boat had entered the river. A UCCF vessel, patrols from the Faro and Beja Territorial Commands, and teams from the Emergency Protection and Relief Unit (UEPS), equipped with drones, were subsequently deployed.
The GNR said the police response prompted those on board to throw their cargo into the water while the boat was in motion. The joint operation with Spain’s Guardia Civil resulted in Spanish authorities seizing 57 bales of hashish, with the GNR assisting in the recovery of 20 bales from the river.
In northern Portugal, the Braga Territorial Command intercepted a gathering of suspicious vehicles in Fonte Boa, in the municipality of Esposende, at around 11.45pm on 21 October. According to the GNR, preparations were under way to assemble and launch a boat intended to support drug trafficking operations.
The intervention led to the arrest of a 41-year-old man and the seizure of six vehicles, five with Spanish registration plates and one with Portuguese plates. Officers also seized a boat, two engines, around 1,500 litres of fuel and two loaded Kalashnikov assault rifles, together with two magazines.
At least three suspects fled on foot. The UEPS deployed unmanned aerial vehicles to assist in the search, while investigations are continuing in coordination with the Polícia Judiciária, Portugal’s criminal investigation police.
Across all overnight operations, the GNR seized around 10,000 litres of fuel stored in 420 containers. In addition to the weapons, nine light vehicles, including commercial vehicles, the boat and its two marine engines, officers seized several mobile phones and equipment associated with navigation used to support drug trafficking.
According to the force, they targeted organised networks involved in maritime drug trafficking and handicapped the establishment of logistical support points and landing sites for drug consignments.
Source: GNR
Photo credit: GNR
