Lisbon announced on Monday, January 26th the interception of a semi-submersible vessel carrying nearly nine tonnes of cocaine off the Azores archipelago, marking the largest cocaine seizure in the country’s history. According to police, the haul represents “the biggest seizure of cocaine ever in Portugal.”
The semi-submersible craft was intercepted in recent days approximately 230 nautical miles (426 kilometres) from the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. The operation involved the Portuguese navy and air force, with additional support from UK and U.S. authorities, and took place amid challenging weather conditions. Despite the interception, the vessel eventually sank, causing 35 of the roughly 300 packages of drugs on board to be lost at sea.
Authorities confirmed that the semi-submersible originated in Latin America and had a crew of four, including three Colombians and one Venezuelan.
