More than 1,000 kilos of cocaine hidden in juice and stuffed inside melons seized in Portugal and Spain
Agents of the Spanish National Police, in a joint operation with Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency and the Judicial Police of Portugal, have seized more than 1,000 kilos of cocaine in Portugal and Spain. Three people have been arrested in Portuguese territory and the investigation remains open in Spain where the investigation continues. The narcotic, coming from South America, has been intercepted in two shipments, one batch that was hidden inside juice containers and another inside melons.
The investigation was initiated by the Portuguese Judicial Police in recent months, after becoming aware of the existence of an organization that introduced large quantities of cocaine from South America. The investigations carried out allowed the intervention, in the Portuguese port of Sines, of a shipment of 535 kilos of cocaine that was hidden inside juice containers.
The investigation made it possible to detect that the criminal organization used effective methods of concealing the narcotic substance to introduce it into European territory and, in turn, could be using Spanish ports for its operations.
With the information provided by the Portuguese authorities, agents from the National Police and Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, began investigations in Spanish territory to detect the activities of the organization in our country. In this way, it was detected that another shipment of the narcotic could be underway bound for a Galician port.
Pulpless melons stuffed with cocaine
The investigation made it possible to detect a container of fruit in Vigo, coming from Brazil, which could be related to the organization. After its location and inspection, a total of 21 pallets of melons without pulp were found inside, previously emptied by the organization and which had been filled by the organization with spherical rubber bags containing a total of 490 kilos of cocaine. The investigation remains open and new arrests are not ruled out.
