“The PJ, through the National Unit for Combating Narcotics Trafficking, conducted two police operations in recent days at Lisbon International Airport. These operations targeted air trafficking of narcotics, resulting in the arrest of four individuals, three of whom are foreign nationals, on strong suspicions of engaging in international drug trafficking,” stated the police in a press release.
The group of suspects, aged between 20 and 31, brought the drugs to Lisbon. It consisted of three individuals who carried drugs internally; the total amount of drugs remains unspecified.
The three suspects are currently hospitalized, awaiting the expulsion of all ingested drugs.
The trio will be brought “before the competent judicial authority for the possible application of coercive measures” once the medical procedure is completed, according to the press release.
The fourth suspect concealed at least 178,980 individual doses of cocaine within their luggage.
“As for the other suspect, aged 27, he was smuggling a significant amount of cocaine in his luggage. If it had entered illicit distribution channels, it would have been sufficient for at least 178,980 individual doses,” the statement noted.
The 27-year-old suspect was subjected to an initial judicial interrogation before the competent authority.
The individual remains awaiting judicial proceedings, with potential preventive detention being the most severe coercive measure.
The operations pertaining to combating airborne narcotics trafficking occur as part of the regular control over passenger movements from countries “considered high-risk.”
The PJ’s actions aim to prevent the introduction of narcotic substances into Portugal and other European nations via transit through Portuguese airports, emphasizing that investigations continue.
