The parliament has approved the Government’s legislative proposal mandating the identification of fast boats longer than four meters, with violations punishable by up to four years in prison, to combat drug trafficking.
The legislative proposal to regulate the use of high-speed vessels (EAV) was approved on August 7 in the Council of Ministers and submitted to the Assembly of the Republic on August 13. It was discussed today by the deputies, with abstentions from PS, Livre, PCP, and Bloco de Esquerda during the vote.
The proposal outlines the same penalty range of one to four years in prison for those who “transport, import, or export” fast boats or enter or exit national territory in them without authorization from the Tax and Customs Authority.
The proposal also stipulates that projects for the construction or modification of fast boats must be submitted to the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety, and Maritime Services.
Failure to comply could result in a sentence of up to two years in prison, as could crew members who carry more fuel than allowed on an EAV or use mechanisms like paint or electronic equipment to evade radar detection.
This proposal aims to amend the current regime, which was established in 1990 and only defines the navigation rules for these boats, with non-compliance previously punishable by fines now increased to a maximum of 25,000 euros for individuals and up to 100,000 for corporations.
During today’s debate in the Assembly of the Republic, the Minister of Justice warned of the shifting drug trafficking routes towards the Portuguese coast.
Rita Alarcão Júdice explained, “since 2020, there has been a significant increase in the detection and seizure of inflatable and semi-rigid high-speed boats in Portugal,” with criminal drug trafficking organizations increasingly using these fast boats.
