On 29th December the PSP in Lisbon executed 25 search warrants resulting in the arrest of 22 persons in the process of selling heroin, cocaine and hashish in the areas of Bairro da Cruz Vemelha – Lumiar and Trafaria.

Those arrested comprised 19 men and 3 women aged from 17 to 63 years.

During the operation which was the culmination of an 8 month investigation, a total of 13 kgs of hashish; 693 gms of heroin and 93 gms of cocaine were seized. In addition also seized was € 12,398.38 in cash; 2 shotguns (shotgun); 2 pistols; 1 ballistic vest, 383 rounds of ammunition, 2 cars and various other equipment including computers associated with the network’s activities.

The traffickers carried out their activities close to a leisure centre and a pre-school and led to a feeling of insecurity within the neighbourhood and resulted in a number of complaints to police.

THE PSP consider that the arrests have resulted in the dismantlement of a properly organized network run by three men who counted on the collaboration of several individuals who assisted by direct sales to consumers, acting as lookouts at the point of sale, the transportation of narcotics to the point of sale, custody of the narcotics and the preparation and packaging. Until the arrests it is believed to be the most active drug trafficking network in the area.

Comment

An excellent and well executed operation and in terms of the number of arrests one of the largest conducted during 2013.