At the São João Novo Court in Porto, where the trial commenced today, the suspect, the only one willing to testify, admitted to the panel of judges that he acted “recklessly” when agreeing to work for 1,500 euros in a case involving the customs clearance of two containers that arrived at the port of Leixões, Matosinhos, on July 11, 2024.
“I admit that given the [economic] circumstances, I was not cautious. It was a mistake I would not repeat,” the defendant declared. According to the prosecution, he was responsible for overseeing all logistics and organization related to the customs clearance of the containers and the subsequent storage of the narcotics.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) states that the four defendants were part of an international criminal organization dedicated to importing cocaine from Ecuador, concealed in banana containers.
The suspects, three men and a woman, face charges of criminal association and aggravated drug trafficking after customs clearance of more than 91 kilos of cocaine in two containers that arrived at the port of Leixões.
According to the investigation, the defendant who testified today was responsible for all logistics and organization related to the customs clearance of the containers and the subsequent storage of the narcotics, while the other three were tasked with unloading and removing the drugs and transporting them to the location chosen by the organization.
In this afternoon’s hearing, the defendant explained that he was recovering from cancer when a friend contacted him to assist with the customs clearance of containers detained at Leixões, with costs already amounting to 70,000 euros.
His involvement, he stated, was limited to reducing these costs, ending once the alleged rotten bananas containers were cleared.
Before the panel of judges, the defendant claimed not to know any of the other suspects or the real nature of the transported goods, adding that he did not receive the 1,500 euros owed for his work.
He emphasized that he withdrew from the process when he became suspicious of cash payments and pressures regarding deadlines and procedures, notifying by message that he was pulling out and wanted no further involvement.
According to the defendant, all transport and delivery logistics of the respective cargo were left to third parties linked to the importer and customs broker.
The presiding judge confronted the defendant about his involvement in an operation he claimed to be unaware of, questioning, “How does someone, knowing no one, get involved in an activity not of their own to unload two containers from Ecuador?”
“Your goodwill was to help traffic 90 kilos of cocaine. Didn’t you find it strange to receive 24,000 euros in cash?” the judge insisted.
The drugs were located by the Judiciary Police between August 12 and 13, 2024, hidden in the cargo, which eventually was sent decomposed to a warehouse in Paços de Ferreira.
The four defendants are currently in preventive detention.
The next session is scheduled for October 2, at 09:15, extending into the afternoon due to today’s session starting more than an hour and a half late because of delays in transporting the detainees and the translator.
