Latest news and stories about drug trafficking in Portugal for expats and residents.
A shipment of one tonne of cocaine smuggled into Portugal was discovered concealed within bags of sugar.
According to the Public Prosecutor's indictment, “the defendants negotiated the transport of containers with fruit, charcoal, rice, and soy flour,” in which “large quantities of cocaine” were concealed.
Two high-speed boats, allegedly involved in drug trafficking, were seized on Tuesday, March 31, in the Algarve during an operation by the Maritime Police with the support of the Portuguese Navy. Authorities arrested seven individuals: six Spanish nationals and one Moroccan national. After being identified as suspicious targets, the Maritime Police Tactical Action Group and the Marine Corps Boarding Detachment intercepted the two vessels with reinforcement from the Southern Regional Command of the Maritime Police. According to the National Maritime Authority (AMN), the individuals on the boats fled at high speed, performing risky evasive maneuvers to escape, but were successfully intercepted. The boats were seized, and the seven suspects are now undergoing legal proceedings. In a separate operation, the Judicial Police (PJ) dismantled an international network, resulting in five arrests and the seizure of 1.5 tonnes of cocaine, seven speedboats, and six Kalashnikov rifles.
A joint operation with eight EU countries and the United Kingdom dealt a “heavy blow” to a trafficking network. 86 bales, three vehicles, and AK-47 ammunition were seized.
The group, dismantled in the summer of 2025 by the GNR, was based in Porto Alto.
Two other defendants, the wife and daughter of the accused, were also convicted.
In addition to the high-speed boat, a heavy goods vehicle, a semi-trailer, a camera, a memory card, a SIM card, and a mobile phone were seized.
The 300 kilograms of seized cocaine were enough to produce approximately 1.2 million individual daily doses
The men were sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to nine years for the crime of aggravated drug trafficking.
A 74-year-old foreign national was arrested in the act.
Ivan Cardoso was caught on wiretaps. He was arrested by the PSP along with 16 other suspects.
On Wednesday, the PJ dismantled a criminal drug trafficking network operating via maritime routes to Europe, arrested eight people, and seized approximately 1,800 kilograms of cocaine.
The PJ's 'Survivor' operation, in collaboration with the Portuguese Navy and Air Force, led to the detection and subsequent seizure of a fishing vessel from a Latin American country, 450 nautical miles (just over 800 km) from the Azores.
The detainees have been admitted to the Ponta Delgada Prison, where they will await the progress of the proceedings.
Ivan Cardoso was caught on wiretaps. He was arrested by the PSP along with 16 other suspects.
Seventeen people were arrested, and half a kilogram of cocaine, three kilograms of heroin, weapons, and high-end vehicles were seized.
During searches of the business headquarters of one of the companies under investigation, drugs were seized, including cannabis oil products, cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA tablets.
The Judiciary Police announced on Wednesday, March 11, a police operation that resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,800 kilograms of cocaine. The drugs were found on board a fishing vessel detected 450 nautical miles from the Azores. Authorities believe they have dismantled a criminal group dedicated to smuggling large quantities of drugs into the European continent. In coordination with the Navy and the Air Force, the PJ's National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking intercepted the vessel under 'extremely difficult conditions', finding not only the drugs but also eight men—four Brazilian, three Surinamese, and one Dutch national. Several items used in the navigation and transport of the cocaine were also seized during the operation, codenamed 'Survivor'. The investigation is ongoing.
The operation involved the participation of the Armed Forces
Second part of the CM Investigation from March 9, 2026.
The PSP seized several doses of cocaine and hashish during the investigation.
Of those arrested, one was remanded in custody as a preventive measure, while the others were ordered to make regular appearances before the judicial authorities in their areas of residence.
The PSP seized over a thousand doses of heroin and cocaine, as well as around €1,600 in cash.
Police are investigating possible involvement of the PCC. An expert explains how this Brazilian crime mafia operates, controlling the entire logistics of drug trafficking from the Amazon rainforest to the European consumer.
The defendants face charges of drug trafficking, and three of them are also charged with possession of a prohibited weapon.
A 55-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were arrested during a road patrol operation.
A man and a woman arrested on Friday in possession of 22.7 kilograms of hashish have been remanded in custody, the National Republican Guard (GNR) said today.
The arrest took place during a road patrol operation.
Caught on Amado Beach, Carrapateira, in July 2025.
