Jerrycans on the Beach and Cocaine in a Loulé Home: Five GNR Operations in Four Days Trace the Algarve's Drug-Boat Supply Line

Between Wednesday and Saturday, the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR, the National Republican Guard) carried out five separate operations against drug trafficking on the Algarve coast. Officers seized boats, a car, nearly 300 jerrycans holding about 7,350 litres of petrol, and enough cocaine for about 1.5 million doses. Taken together, the operations show how smugglers keep fast boats supplied: fuel and food go out to them from beaches and creeks before dawn.

Wednesday: ten arrests at Tavira and Fuzeta

Before dawn on 30 September, the GNR's Unidade de Controlo Costeiro e de Fronteiras (UCCF, its Coastal and Border Control Unit) arrested ten men near Tavira and Fuzeta, in the municipalities of Tavira and Olhão. The operation began when the Sistema Integrado de Vigilância, Comando e Controlo (SIVICC, the coastal radar and camera network) picked up high-speed boats offshore. The GNR then sent land, sea and air units to follow them, and said that what they found was "logistical support for maritime drug trafficking". Eight foreign men aged 19 to 30 were arrested at Tavira and two Portuguese men, aged 43 and 46, at Fuzeta. Officers seized a fishing boat, a motorised inflatable and a car.

Friday: cocaine and packing machines in Loulé

On Friday 2 October, the GNR's Núcleo de Investigação Criminal (criminal investigation unit) in Loulé searched a home in the municipality and found what the force says is about 1.5 million doses of cocaine. It also seized two packaging machines and other material for packing and storing the drug. The GNR announced no arrests and says it is still working to identify and find those responsible.

Three fuel caches

• Tavira, early Saturday. Patrols found a large number of abandoned petrol jerrycans on the Ribeira do Almargem stream. Officers seized a small motorised inflatable and 144 jerrycans holding about 3,600 litres. Two foreign men aged 18 and 39 were identified. One was in Portugal illegally and was taken to the Tavira court.
• Albufeira. The GNR was told of suspicious movements near Santa Eulália beach and, with help from the Polícia Marítima (Maritime Police), seized a small inflatable and 136 jerrycans holding about 3,400 litres on Aveiros beach. Four foreign men aged 18 to 21 ran but were identified. They were made formal suspects and released on a termo de identidade e residência (a sworn statement of identity and address, the lightest measure available).
• Aljezur. Near the Arrifana fishing harbour on the west coast, surveillance spotted a high-speed boat and a motorised inflatable passing packages between them. The GNR seized the inflatable, an outboard engine, 18 jerrycans holding about 350 litres of fuel, 11 bags of provisions and three hand pumps for inflatable boats.

The GNR announced the Albufeira and Aljezur seizures in a statement on Saturday. It said both happened before dawn.

A familiar pattern

The Algarve is one of the main entry points for drugs into Portugal, and most of them come in by sea. The fast boats that carry them need fuel and supplies brought out to them, and that shore-side work is what the GNR calls logistical support for trafficking. This week's seizures follow the same pattern as the 172 jerrycans of fuel found in a van in Loulé in early September.

Arrests do not always hold. Last month, Maritime Police inspectors complained that all 37 suspects caught with 17 narco-boats had been released. Of the six men stopped in the three fuel seizures, four were made formal suspects and released, one was taken to court over his immigration status, and the other was identified.