A two ton haul of hashish was seized near Tavira at dawn on Wednesday in an operation coordinated by the Judicial Police resulting in the arrest of five traffickers in different parts of the Algarve.
According to the police, acting in collaboration with the Marine Police and the Coastal Control Unit of the GNR, the group had been under investigation for about a year.
In addition to 2,100 kilogrammes of hashish packed in 70 bales, today's operation included the seizure of "two boats, a quality car, a goods vehicle, about €1,500, 300 dirames, a satellite phone, a telecommunications radio, GPS and various mobile phones."
The police said the gang was engaged in the organised trafficking of large quantities of hashish from Morocco to the Algarve coast, "The hashish was transported in ships and unloaded in the Tavira area"
The drug traffickers, aged between 28 and 58 years, some of which have criminal records, shortly will be up before the beak to see if they will be held in jail or allowed home.
The police said these are well known traffickers and that the drugs were probably next going to Spain by road.
Two men were arrested at their homes in Tavira, while the other three were intercepted in Fuseta, Olhão.
The drugs were swiftly unloaded on the banks of the Gilão River in Tavira and the shipment was found in the van when the police arrived.
One kilogramme of hashish is worth around €1,000.
