Shocking Arrests: 5 Tax Authority Inspectors Detained in Sines and Setúbal Ports for Corruption and Drug Trafficking

The Judicial Police (PJ) detained five public officials from the ports of Setúbal and Sines this Sunday, as part of Operation Porthos II, on suspicion of active and passive corruption, drug trafficking, and money laundering. The detained individuals are reportedly agents of the Tax Authority (AT).

According to a statement released by the PJ, the operation, conducted by the National Unit for Combating Corruption, also involved six home and non-home search warrants. The investigation focuses on the alleged facilitation of international criminal organizations dedicated to exporting large quantities of cocaine from Latin America by sea.

Thirty PJ inspectors and security personnel were involved in the operation, under the supervision of the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP). The detainees are set to appear before the Public Prosecutor's Office next Monday.

This operation follows a previous one on February 25, where four suspects were detained for similar allegations. A video allegedly showing AT inspectors accepting bribes was exclusively released by CNN Portugal, serving as one of the investigation's strongest pieces of evidence. The video suggests that these officials were bribed by the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), a Brazilian criminal organization.

In the earlier operation, which included 32 search warrants, 15 individuals were named as defendants, and over half a million euros in cash, 10 vehicles, and five firearms were seized.