Portuguese police dismantle ‘one of Europe’s largest drug labs’

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) — Portuguese police dismantled a major cocaine processing laboratory in a sweeping operation that led to the seizure of nearly 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds) of cocaine, the Portuguese Judiciary Police (PJ) announced Thursday.

Police said this was the biggest laboratory of its kind to have been discovered in Portugal and one of the largest in Europe.

The operation targeted a highly organized criminal group responsible for trafficking large quantities of cocaine into Europe.

In a statement, police explained that the investigation began following a seizure of nearly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a shipping container from Colombia carrying around 20 tons of bananas.

Authorities eventually identified key individuals involved in the drug’s importation, leading to a coordinated operation last Tuesday that executed 20 search warrants and four arrest warrants.

During the raids, police discovered an active industrial-scale cocaine laboratory that was actively processing and packing cocaine. Three people were working there at the time.

Besides the cocaine, police seized “large quantities of chemicals,” firearms, cash, and vehicles.

Portuguese daily Diario de Noticias reported the warehouse was located in the Oeste region, around 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Lisbon.

In total, the raids led to the arrest of seven suspects — four Portuguese nationals, two Colombians, and one Moroccan.

The investigation, conducted in cooperation with authorities in Colombia, Spain, and the US, remains ongoing.