Major Drug Laboratory Dismantled
The Judicial Police (PJ) has successfully dismantled one of the largest drug laboratories in Europe, located in the Western region of Portugal. This operation, known as Operation Pacoba, was revealed on December 5th, leading to the arrest of seven men and the seizure of nearly 1500 kilograms of cocaine, firearms, cash, and several vehicles.
Organized Crime Network
The criminal group behind this operation was described as "highly organized", specializing in the introduction of significant quantities of cocaine into mainland Europe. This lab is noted as the largest industrial facility for cocaine extraction, processing, and packaging detected in Portugal and ranks among the largest in Europe.
Four of the arrested individuals are Portuguese, while two are Colombian and one Moroccan, with ages ranging from 29 to 56 years.
International Cooperation
The investigation was initiated following a collaboration with law enforcement agencies in Colombia, Spain, and three U.S. agencies: the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In May, the PJ had previously seized 986 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a shipping container from Colombia, disguised within boxes of bananas, which led to the identification of several suspects.
Recent Developments
The investigation culminated in 20 search warrants and four arrest warrants, all executed on December 3rd. During the raid, authorities discovered an industrial lab containing 460 kilograms of processed cocaine and 32.5 kilograms in the processing stage. Three men were caught in the act, and authorities seized two firearms, a press, laboratory equipment, substantial quantities of chemicals, and a significant amount of cash.
In total, Operation Pacoba has resulted in the seizure of 1478.5 kilograms of cocaine, three firearms, large amounts of cash, several vehicles, and the dismantling of the lab. The investigation is ongoing.
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