The Portuguese Judicial Police, through its National Unit for the Fight against Drug Trafficking, has carried out a major operation targeting transcontinental maritime drug trafficking, in close cooperation with the Portuguese Navy and the Portuguese Air Force.
Over recent days, authorities successfully located and intercepted a semi-submersible vessel (SPSS) on the high seas, which was being used to transport several tonnes of cocaine. The vessel, originating from Latin America and crewed by four foreign nationals, was carrying an estimated total of 300 bales of cocaine.
The interception took place approximately 230 nautical miles from the Azores, under extremely challenging and hazardous conditions due to severe adverse weather at sea. Despite these difficulties, the operation was successfully executed, demonstrating a high level of coordination, operational capability and resilience among the forces involved.
The operation, supported by MAOC-N, also benefited from the cooperation and intelligence sharing between the PJ and international partner agencies. These included authorities from the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), as well as the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S).
The investigation remains ongoing and is being led by the Portuguese Judicial Police, in coordination with partner authorities from other countries.
Press release: https://www.policiajudiciaria.pt/operacao-adamastor-semi-submersivel-intercetado-em-alto-mar-com-300-fardos-de-cocaina/
