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37 planes, many millions of euros, 70 luxury cars and bank accounts whose balances are still not fully known. At dawn last Saturday, a mega operation unleashed in Portugal and other countries – such as Brazil, Spain and Belgium – It has dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to trafficking massive amounts of cocaine to Europe and money laundering. In total, in addition to 179 domiciliary and non-domiciliary registries in the different states, 45 people were arrested, 38 of which in Brazil, four in Belgium, one in Spain and two in Dubai. The plan had been in operation for several years and had roots on different continents.
Only in the national territory, the National Unit for the Fight against Drug Trafficking of the Judicial Police seized about 12 million euros in cash last weekend. two properties with an estimated value of 2.5 million euros and several bank accounts whose balances have not yet been fully accounted for.
The investigation was led in Portugal by the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP), which had “the support of Europol in the areas of coordination and analysis of information,” explains an official source from the Judicial Police.
The Federal Police of Brazil, the Federal Judicial Police of Belgium (Federale Gerechtelijke Politie, Police Judiciaire Fédérale), the National Police Corps of Spain, the National Police of the Netherlands (Politie), the Romanian Police (Poliția Română) also participated. ) and the Dubai Police (القيادة العامة لشرطة دبي) ”, explains the Judiciary.
Millions of euros, dollars and reais were also seized in the rest of the countries. According to the Judicial Police, their counterparts seized two million reais and 169,000 US dollars in cash in Brazil, 300,000 euros in cash in Belgium, 163 properties in Brazil with an estimated value of more than 132 million reais, two properties in spain with an estimated value of 4 million euros, 37 aircraft not Brazil; 70 luxury cars in Brazil, Belgium and Spain. In addition, financial assets of a value not yet fully determined were also located.
The elements available so far indicate that the criminal organization now dismantled was responsible for the introduction of at least 45 tons of cocaine per year on the European continent, shipped from Brazil by sea ”, reveals the PJ.
According to Europol, the drug entered European territory through “the main seaports”, obtaining the group profits of more than 100 million euros for periods of 6 months.
European police explain that the criminal network “had direct contact with cartels in Brazil and other South American countries, where cocaine was prepared and shipped in maritime containers, bound for the main European ports ”.
“The scale of cocaine imports is enormous, with more than 52 tons of cocaine by the authorities only during the course of the investigation “, Europol also mentions on its website, adding: “In April 2020, Europol brought together the countries involved, who have since been working together to establish a joint strategy to dismantle the entire network. The main suspects were identified on both sides of the Atlantic, with the support of Operation EMMA 95 / LEMONT 26, the investigation led by France and the Netherlands against the Encrochat network ”.
Since then, Europol has provided intelligence coordination and analysis to support investigators in the field. During the operation, eight policemen were deployed to Portugal, Belgium and Brazil to support the national authorities, ensuring a rapid analysis of the new data that was collected during the action and adjusting the strategy as required ”, says Europol.
For the National Unit for the Fight against Drug Trafficking, this operation clearly demonstrated thator through strong cooperation between the authorities of the different countries it is possible to effectively combat this type of structures criminal activities and their illicit activities ”.
Europol Deputy Director Wil van Gemert also commented on the success of the investigation: “This operation highlights the complexity and the broad reach of Brazil’s organized crime groups in Europe. The scale of the challenge facing police today around the world requires a coordinated approach to combat drug trafficking on all continents. The commitment of our partner countries to work through Europol has sustained the success of this operation and serves as a call for continued global action.
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