Police seize almost half tonne of drugs on Canaries-Azores ‘cocaine highway’

In the space of two weeks, authorities have seized almost half a tonne of drugs on the so-called “cocaine highway” between the Portuguese Azores Islands and the Spanish Canary Islands, the Judicial Police (PJ) – which led the international operation – has announced today.

In total, between May 27 and June 15, Operation AZUL 2.0 resulted in the seizure of “more than 465 kilograms of cocaine”, “more than 42 kilograms of hashish”, three vessels – including two high-speed craft – and 800 litres of fuel.

Image: Polícia Judiciária

During the operation, which focused on the Eastern Atlantic corridor, three people were also arrested and six vessels were inspected.

“The joint effort by the various countries and anti-drug agencies involved in the operation has dealt a significant blow to what is known as the ‘cocaine highway’,” the PJ, Portugal’s main criminal investigation agency, emphasises.

At issue is a maritime corridor increasingly used by criminal organisations to transport cocaine between Latin America and Europe, involving transfers between vessels on the high seas and unloading “in remote coastal areas and small marinas”, or on beaches.

The operation, led by the PJ and supported by Europol, involved collaboration with police authorities in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC-N, by its official acronym) in Lisbon, and Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

Between April 13 and 26, in a similar operation on the “cocaine highway”, led by the Spanish National Police and involving the PJ, 11 tonnes of cocaine, 8.5 tonnes of hashish and eight vessels were seized, with 54 people arrested.

Source material: LUSA

Natasha Donn

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.