Artur Vaz of the Police Judicial’s Anti-Drug Trafficking Unit stated at a press conference today that the drugs were intended to be “transferred on the high seas to high-speed vessels, which would then introduce them to the Iberian Peninsula’s coasts, before heading to other European countries.”
The “Renascer” operation was disclosed on Friday, reporting that a joint operation by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ), the Air Force, and the Navy resulted in the interception of two fishing vessels on the high seas, carrying 10 foreign nationals and over seven tons of cocaine.
A joint statement released on Friday highlighted the operation, which was conducted approximately 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 kilometers) from Lisbon, in coordination with foreign authorities.
Artur Vaz noted today that the operation occurred in international waters and that the interception site of the Brazilian-flagged vessels was deemed the most advantageous from an operational standpoint.
Aboard were 10 Brazilian nationals with no criminal background. Five of them have already been brought before the first judicial interrogation and received preventive detention as a coercive measure, while the other five are set to appear in court “in due course,” added the PJ official.
The head of the PJ’s Anti-Drug Trafficking Unit further mentioned that the operation developed over two weeks and involved two phases of great complexity. The investigation was initiated based on information submitted by the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC-N), indicating a potential maritime drug transport already en route to Europe.
“The vessels, originating from South America, transported over seven tons of cocaine, which is believed to have been loaded off the Brazilian coast,” states the joint statement, adding that in the operation, “a vast array of Navy resources, belonging to the Naval Component of the Forces System, the National Maritime Authority, the Air Force, and elements of the Polícia Judiciária, were employed to intercept the vessels and prevent them from transferring the cocaine bales to high-speed boats.”
At today’s press conference, Commander Ricardo Sá Granja of the Portuguese Navy revealed that the operation required traveling over 3,935 nautical miles (approximately 7,280 kilometers) and 339 hours of direct military involvement.
A communiqué issued this morning specified that the Portuguese Navy participated in the seizure of four and a half tons of cocaine aboard a fishing vessel in the early hours of November 17. On the afternoon of November 20, last Thursday, another vessel carrying over two and a half tons of cocaine was intercepted in the same area.
“Through the deployment of a vast array of resources from the Naval Component of the Forces System, particularly command and control capabilities, patrol and inspection, and force projection, the Navy intercepted these vessels in an operation involving over 210 military personnel, also supported by the National Maritime Authority, through the Regional Command of the Maritime Police of Madeira,” it added.
Newly revealed information indicates that, this year alone, the Navy has assisted in the high-seas seizure of over 17 tons of cocaine, notably intercepting two semi-submersibles (commonly known as narco submarines) in March and October.
The “Renascer” operation investigation was also supported by the Brazilian Federal Police, the United States’ DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), the JIATF West (Joint Interagency Task Force West), and the UK’s NCA (National Crime Agency).
António Castilho of the Brazilian Federal Police emphasized at today’s press event at the PJ headquarters in Lisbon the significance of “international cooperation,” stating that “there is no other way to defeat crime.”
“Brazil does not produce even a gram of cocaine (…), but Brazilian territory is used as a transit for drugs, primarily to Africa, Europe, and Asia,” Castilho added.
