The Judiciary Police (PJ) seized 7.3 tonnes of cannabis and 411 thousand euros in Tuesday’s operation against drug trafficking through legal cannabis plantations, which culminated in five arrests, claims a Judicial Police source. In addition, 12 vehicles and 11 weapons were also seized in the “Erva Daninha” operation.
In total, sixty-four searches were carried out on mainland Portugal, Madeira, Spain, Bulgaria, and Cyprus.
“The criminal organisation in question, understanding the flaws and vulnerabilities of the medical cannabis export inspection and control system in Portugal, acquired pharmaceutical companies, then created licensed commercial companies for the wholesale trade, import and export of medical cannabis, that led to the distribution of several thousand kilos of cannabis to illicit markets through the use of false certificate documentation,” said a PJ statement.
The drugs were destined for European and African markets, while the distribution would have taken several months.
The investigation began in early 2022, as part of cooperation with the Spanish authorities, and had, in a first phase, culminated in the seizure of “a total of about 1,200 kilograms of amphetamines (3-CMC and 3-MMC).”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
