The four inmates accused of orchestrating a drug trafficking scheme within Coimbra prison, using undetectable drug-infused paper, have been convicted as repeat offenders. Two of the defendants, nearing release, will remain in preventive detention until the case concludes, the panel of judges decided today.
The defendants received sentences of seven years and 11 months, seven years and nine months, six years and ten months, and six years and nine months in prison.
The partner of one inmate during the incidents, with no criminal record, received a five-year suspended prison sentence and must regularly report to authorities, presiding judge noted.
The father of one inmate, also a defendant in the drug trafficking case, was acquitted.
The indictment revealed the trafficking network operated within Coimbra Prison, led by a 39-year-old man, serving an eight-year sentence for currency counterfeiting since 2021, and his 43-year-old wife living in the city since 2022.
The couple allegedly designed a plan from November 2022 to April 2024 to smuggle MDMB, a synthetic cannabinoid absorbed in A4 paper, into the prison to sell to inmates, according to the public prosecutor.
This drug is “easily hidden, complicating its detection in prison settings,” being “undetectable by rapid tests and inmate urine tests,” the prosecution noted.
Each paper sheet was divided into 32 equal parts within the prison and sold for 100 euros each or in smaller parcels for five or ten euros, later smoked.
The defendant’s wife reportedly handled contacts in the UK for ordering the paper and ensured its delivery into the prison via other inmates (through mail or temporary releases) or family visits.
Inside the prison, the defendant was responsible for selling the sheets to inmates for consumption or resale.
The other three inmates involved (convicted for trafficking and theft) reportedly assisted in bringing the drugs into Coimbra Prison, either receiving shipments or coordinating deliveries during visits.
