The key facts

  • 3.7 tonnes of cocaine seized off the coast of Faro from a speedboat intercepted approximately 80 nautical miles south of the city
  • One of the three suspects suffered serious injuries in a collision during the chase and died; two were arrested
  • The Mare Nostrum operation was conducted under the aegis of MAOC-N with the participation of the Portuguese Navy, maritime police, the Spanish Civil Guard and the Italian Guardia di Finanza

Largest Maritime Operation Off the Algarve Coast

The Portuguese judicial police (PJ) reported the seizure of 3.7 tonnes of cocaine at sea off the coast of Faro in the Algarve region. The operation took place on Sunday and was the result of several months of investigation which, according to the police, led to the dismantling of a criminal group engaged in bringing large shipments of drugs into Europe using high-speed boats. The drugs were on board such a boat, detected and intercepted approximately 80 nautical miles south of Faro. In addition to the cargo itself, 'various items used for navigation and transportation' were seized.

The Chase, the Collision and a Victim

João Oliveira, director of the PJ's Lisbon directorate, told a press conference on Monday that the boat 'was already in the police's view as suspicious' and that a report about it had been received. Officers approached the vessel in open sea; the crew consisted of three suspects. They failed to comply with orders from law enforcement, and a collision occurred during the pursuit. One of the suspects suffered serious injuries and subsequently died. The other two, both foreign nationals, were arrested and will shortly appear before a judge at the Campus de Justiça judicial complex in Lisbon, where the question of possible charges and pre-trial measures will be decided.

International Coordination and the 'Narco-Launch' Method

The operation, codenamed Mare Nostrum, was conducted under the aegis of the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre — Narcotics (MAOC-N) in coordination with the Portuguese Navy, the maritime police, the Spanish Civil Guard and the Italian Guardia di Finanza. João Oliveira described the dismantled structure as 'yet another international criminal organisation' whose aim is to deliver large shipments of cocaine to Europe. He noted that the group used a so-called 'narco-launch' — a speedboat officially designated as an EAV — a method which, according to him, has been increasingly used in recent years.