The Portuguese Judicial Police, through the National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking (UNCTE) and with the support of the Portuguese Navy, carried out a maritime operation which resulted in the seizure of approximately 1.000kg of cocaine in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Portugal.
The target of the operation – which was named Operation Monaco – was a 16-meter-long sailboat that was crossing the Atlantic from South America.
The vessel was escorted to the Lisbon Naval Base for a deep search to be undertaken, and a total of 40 bales containing 1.000kg of cocaine were seized. The vessel’s sole crew member, a 53-year-old man, was also detained to be duly presented to the competent judicial authorities.
This operation had the collaboration of the US Drugs Enforcement Administration (DEA), the French Direction Nationale du Renseignement et des Enquêtes Douanières (DNRED) and also the support of the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC-N).
