The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) initiated an operation on Wednesday, July 16, in Leiria, resulting in the identification and arrest of two men and the seizure of 800 kilograms of cat litter impregnated with over 200 kilograms of cocaine.
In a statement released this Thursday, July 17, to Notícias ao Minuto, inspectors disclosed that the operation stemmed from an investigation, in collaboration with the Spanish customs authorities, which began in April this year following suspicions about a company based in Gondomar. This company had imported more than 25 tons of cat litter from Brazil.
Although intended for customs clearance in Freixieiro – Matosinhos, the cargo, transported in a maritime container, was unloaded in Vigo, which also raised alarms among local authorities.
At that time, PJ stated that several tests were conducted, proving the presence of cocaine in one of the bags tested.
From there, in close cooperation, the PJ, through the Northern Directorate, and Spanish customs authorities began investigating the situation.
Thus, on the day before, when a new shipment of cat litter had arrived in Portugal and was about to be unloaded in a warehouse in Bombarral, the authorities took action.
They arrested two men, caught in flagrante delicto, suspected of being the recipients of the cargo and belonging to an international drug trafficking network.
The Scientific Police Laboratory of the PJ will determine the exact amount of drug impregnated through forensic examinations, considering that the concealment method requires a preliminary filtration process. However, according to the PJ, based on preliminary analysis and the concentration index of the drug found in the sand, authorities estimate that the quantity of cocaine now seized exceeds 200 kilograms.
The detainees, aged 48 and 50, will now appear before the competent judicial authorities in the Criminal Court of Porto for the first interrogation and application of precautionary measures.
One of them, according to the PJ, is a resident of Oeiras and has a long criminal record, having been under investigation for the practice of this and other types of crime.
4 Arrested and 100 kg of Cocaine Seized at Porto Airport
This Thursday, the PJ had already announced the arrest of four individuals at Porto airport in a drug trafficking operation, in which 100 kilograms of cocaine were seized from bags arriving from Brazil.
Four individuals were arrested at Porto airport in a drug trafficking operation, in which 100 kilograms of cocaine were seized from bags arriving from Brazil, the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) revealed today.
Lusa | 13:38 – 17/07/2025
In this case, the suspects are aged between 27 and 60 and reside in Porto and Matosinhos.
“The drug, with a high degree of purity, was transported on a flight from São Paulo, Brazil, and was retrieved by the suspects at the baggage claim belts,” revealed the PJ in a statement sent today to Notícias ao Minuto.
