1.5 tons of hashish seized in the Algarve

One and a half tons of hashish, which had been dumped into the water by a suspicious vessel, was seized today by the GNR (National Republican Guard) in an operation at the entrance to the Guadiana River in the Algarve.

"The Coastal and Border Control Unit (UCCF), through the Olhão Coastal Control Detachment, today, September 22, seized 38 bales of the drug, totalling approximately 1,520 kilograms of hashish, between southern Portugal and Spain," read a statement from the National Republican Guard (GNR).

According to the statement, the operation began after the Integrated Surveillance, Command, and Control System (SIVICC) detected a "suspicious vessel" entering the Guadiana River.

The Maritime Patrol Section of the Olhão Coastal Control Detachment, in the Faro district, was immediately activated, launching "a rapid intervention aimed at preventing the introduction of the drug into national territory."

According to the GNR (National Republican Guard), the suspect vessel fled to Spanish waters, dumping dozens of bales overboard.

"During this search, 38 bales of hashish were recovered, totalling more than 1.5 tons," the Guardia Civil states.

The operation involved the collaboration of the Spanish Guardia Civil, the GNR adds, noting that the two security forces have a "joint commitment to combating international drug trafficking by sea."