PJ dismantled one of the largest drug laboratories in Europe in the municipality of Lourinhã
The PJ – Polícia Judiciária dismantled 3rd December in the municipality of Lourinhã, what it considers to be one of the largest cocaine laboratories, which had other European countries as its main destinations. It was a warehouse located in the parish of Reguengo Grande, which was closed by the police authorities as part of the ‘PACOBA’ operation.
Artur Vaz, director of the PJ’s National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking, revealed in a press conference some details of the operation that began about a year ago and ended with the dismantling of what the PJ says is one of the largest industrial laboratories for extracting, transforming and packaging cocaine in Europe.
In May, the PJ had already seized almost a ton of cocaine and has now intercepted another half a ton that was allegedly being trafficked by the same drug trafficking network. “Given the quantities involved and taking into account the national reality, everything points to [the drugs] being destined for other European markets ” and not for exclusive national consumption, Artur Vaz explained to journalists.
The PJ arrested “seven individuals allegedly belonging to an organized criminal group “, four Portuguese and three foreigners (two Colombians and one Moroccan), some of whom “were already referenced” by the authorities, added the PJ director, who did not want to reveal the status of each of the elements in this trafficking network.
It was in this warehouse in the municipality of Lourinhã that the PJ found an industrial laboratory “ for processing cocaine paste, packaging and packing ”, where there were around 460 kilos of processed cocaine and another 32.5 kilos in the process of being processed. “ We believe this is the largest laboratory found to date in Portugal”, announced Artur Vaz.
When the inspectors of the Judicial Police arrived at the scene, they caught three of the detainees red-handed working on the “transformation of drugs in the laboratory”. The judicial authorities issued 20 search warrants for homes and other homes, as well as four arrest warrants. The PJ also seized two firearms, a press, various laboratory equipment, large quantities of chemical products, a large amount of cash, as well as several light and heavy vehicles.
The operation carried out last week follows the seizure of almost a thousand kilos of cocaine, which arrived in Portugal in May in a shipping container from Colombia. The container entered the country via the Port of Setúbal and contained the drug hidden at the bottom of cardboard boxes carrying around 20 tonnes of bananas. According to the police chief, since December last year the PJ has “detected and dismantled five laboratories of this type in various regions of the country”, and there is no evidence to suggest that there were any connections between the different drug trafficking network
The investigation into Operation ‘PACOBA’ by the PJ will continue and is being carried out as part of an inquiry led by the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP). It began following the exchange of information within the framework of international cooperation and in close collaboration and coordination with the police and judicial authorities of Colombia (National Police), Spain (National Police) and the United States (DEA – Drug Enforcement Administration, HSI – Homeland Security Investigations and CBP – Customs and Border Protection). This police operation also included the participation of the PJ’s Scientific Police Laboratory and the support of the National Republican Guard.