Africa-Press – Cape verde. Authorities in Cape Verde, Portugal and Brazil have seized approximately 1.6 tonnes of cocaine on board a vessel intercepted in the Cape Verde Exclusive Economic Zone. Six men of Brazilian nationality were arrested, the Judicial Police (PJ) announced today.
In a statement, the Cape Verdean PJ explained that the vessel was towed to the port of Praia, where it arrived on Saturday, 30 November, as part of an international operation to combat drug trafficking.
“A large quantity of drugs was seized in the seas of Cape Verde, in particular 60 bales containing packages of cocaine, each weighing an estimated 25 to 30 kg. As a result of this operation to combat international drug trafficking, six individuals of Brazilian nationality were arrested, who are now under investigation by the Cape Verdean authorities,” the statement reads.
The joint operation involved the Judicial Police of Cape Verde, the Judicial Police of Portugal, the MAOC (N) – Maritime Operations Centre of the North, Brazil, the Portuguese Navy and the Portuguese Armed Forces. It was carried out approximately 500 nautical miles west of Cape Verde, on a fishing vessel flying the Brazilian flag.
According to a note from the Portuguese PJ, cited by Lusa, the total weight of the drugs is 1.6 tonnes. The vessel, with a crew of six Brazilian nationals, was escorted to Cape Verde, where it was searched, resulting in the discovery of a hidden compartment containing 60 bales of cocaine.
The same source clarifies that the location and interception of the vessel occurred through an ocean patrol vessel of the Portuguese Navy, which had PJ members from Portugal and Cape Verde on board. There were strong suspicions that the fishing vessel was being used by a criminal organization to transport a large quantity of cocaine between South America and the European continent.
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