“The President of the Republic has enacted the law from the Assembly of the Republic authorizing the Government to establish the regime applicable to high-speed boats and set the respective sanctioning regime,” according to the website of the Portuguese Presidency.
On Monday night, a patrol of the Coastal Control of Olhão was dispatched to the Guadiana River after a fast boat was detected, resulting in a collision while attempting to approach the vessel. A GNR officer was killed, and three others were injured.
After the collision, the high-speed boat was found burning about four kilometers from the accident site off Alcoutim, in the district of Faro, but the occupants had already fled.
The authorities suspect another case of drug trafficking, a growing issue in the country, which has led the Government to create new legislation since the current regime, dating back to 1990, only specified navigation rules for such boats.
The law enacted today by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was passed at the end of last month in parliament and foresees penalties of one to four years in prison for “those who transport, import, or export” fast boats or “enter or leave national territory” without authorization from the Tax and Customs Authority.
Furthermore, projects for the construction or modification of high-speed boats (EAV) must be submitted to the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety, and Maritime Services.
Failure to comply could result in up to two years in prison, as well as for crew members transporting more fuel than allowed in an EAV or using mechanisms—such as paint or electronic equipment—to avoid radar detection.
Fines are now increased to a maximum of 25,000 euros for individuals and up to 100,000 euros for corporations.
During the parliamentary debate, the Minister of Justice warned of the changing trend of drug trafficking routes to the Portuguese coast.
According to Rita Alarcão Júdice, since 2020, Portugal has recorded “a significant increase in the detection and seizure of inflatable and semi-rigid high-speed boats,” with the use of these fast boats becoming increasingly common among criminal drug trafficking organizations.
The draft law regulating the use of EAV was approved on August 7 in the Council of Ministers and later approved in the Assembly of the Republic, with abstentions from PS, Livre, PCP, and Bloco de Esquerda.
On the day the law was approved in the Council of Ministers, the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, argued that “fast boats should not and do not have a place in Portugal as instruments of crime” and that the new regime should prevent it.
