Arrested in March 2023 after a police operation that led to the seizure of 1,200 kilos of cocaine that were being transported in a truck.

The detainees have Brazilian, Croatian, Italian and Portuguese nationality and will begin their trial in Portimão, for the crimes of aggravated drug trafficking and criminal association.

The men, aged between 24 and 62, are suspected of “introducing large quantities of cocaine into the European market” and of belonging to “a very powerful network” that had a logistics base in the Algarve and Portugal as a “gateway” for subsequent distribution in Europe.

The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) made the arrests and seized, in addition to the drugs, a heavy vehicle used to transport the cocaine, “communication equipment, large amounts of cash, documents and other objects” relevant to proving the facts under investigation, the PJ highlighted at the time of the arrest.

The investigation was led by the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP), in Lisbon.

After their arrest, the six men were taken to the Central Criminal Investigation Court in Lisbon and were remanded in custody.

“There is evidence that the detainees are part of an international criminal organization that is dedicated to transporting large quantities of cocaine by sea from South America, where it is produced, to Europe, entering via Portugal,” the Public Prosecutor's Office explained at the time.