Africa-Press – Cape verde. Six Brazilian citizens arrested during the operation that led to the seizure of 1.6 tons of cocaine will await trial in preventive detention.
According to a statement from the Judicial Police, the six men were arrested in flagrante delicto for the crime of high-risk drug trafficking, “all of Brazilian nationality and aged between 28 and 43 years old, and were subjected to the first judicial interrogation of detained defendants, with the Praia District Court applying the most serious coercive measure: preventive detention.
It should be recalled that the Trade Winds operation was coordinated by MAOC-N and resulted in the seizure of 1,653.15 kg of cocaine that were distributed in 60 bales on board a fishing vessel that had left Brazil bound for Europe.
The cocaine seized had a high degree of purity.
In addition to the drugs, electronic equipment, satellite phones and laptops were seized.
The seizure took place in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cape Verde and the vessel, after being seized by the authorities, was towed to the port of Praia.
The joint operation, which took place on Saturday, 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.
The location and interception of the vessel were carried out by a Portuguese Navy ocean patrol vessel, which had members of the PJ of Portugal and Cape Verde on board. There were strong suspicions that the fishing vessel was being used by a criminal organisation to transport a large quantity of cocaine between South America and the European continent.
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