Eight arrested in Loulé for fuel smuggling linked to maritime drug logistics
The GNR detained eight men in Loulé after seizing 150 fuel jerricans during a raid targeting a vessel’s supply chain.
In the early hours of Friday, GNR officers conducting a patrol in Loulé uncovered suspicious activity related to the provisioning of a boat suspected of supporting drug trafficking. The Núcleo de Investigação Criminal de Loulé intercepted a light goods vehicle, seized the vehicle and recovered 150 fuel jerricans, each with a 25-litre capacity, along with two video-surveillance cameras, a mobile phone and €100. Eight men were taken into custody and are scheduled to appear before the Tribunal Judicial de Loulé for potential coercive orders.
The raid was supported by the sub-detachment in Quarteira, the territorial post in Vilamoura and the Intervention Detachment of Faro. This follows a similar operation a week earlier in Vila do Bispo, where ten individuals were arrested and larger quantities of fuel and engine supplies were seized. Both incidents highlight ongoing efforts to disrupt logistics that facilitate maritime drug smuggling in the Algarve.
