Portuguese authorities have seized more than 2.6 tonnes of cocaine from a high-speed boat off the coast of Lisbon, according to law enforcement officials. Four people were arrested in the operation, which involved Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian authorities. The suspects include two Spaniards, a Gibraltar resident, and an Albanian man living in Italy.
The cocaine was found aboard what authorities described as an 'ultra-fast ocean-going rigid inflatable boat'. The operation was coordinated by Italian prosecutors in Brescia, according to a statement.
The wholesale value of the cocaine is estimated at approximately €78 million, authorities said. Once delivered to their destination and diluted for retail distribution, the narcotics could have generated total revenues of around €500 million.
The interception is part of a broader trend: criminal networks are increasingly using small, fast boats to transport cocaine from Latin America to Europe, bypassing major ports. Organized crime groups use 'go fast' boats that are 10 to 16 meters long, powered by multiple strong engines, and can travel at more than 70 knots, according to law enforcement.
A total of 11 tonnes of cocaine and 8.5 tonnes of hashish were seized, authorities reported.
Europol warned that criminal networks are increasingly shifting cocaine trafficking away from major European ports and towards fragmented maritime routes across the Atlantic. The agency noted that over a two-week operational period, law enforcement dealt a significant blow to what is known as the cocaine highway. 'Our work does not stop with seizures or the arrest of crew members,' a Europol statement said.