9 arrested and 1 killed in portugal drugs bust

foolsgold

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19057804

Nine people have been arrested and one other killed in a joint counter-narcotics operation by the Portuguese navy and air force, police say.

Three tonnes of hashish were seized in the raid, on the coast of the southern Beja district.

One of the suspects died when he fell out of a speedboat and was struck by a propeller, police said.

The operation is aimed at breaking up what police say is a ring trafficking hashish from Morocco to Spain.

The nine men arrested during Saturday's raid - five of them Portuguese and four Spanish - were questioned over the weekend and are being held on remand, Portugal's Judicial Police told a news conference.

The suspects, aged between 22 and 67, were surprised by the authorities as the consignment was being brought on to land, Portuguese media reported.

The operation, near the town of Odemira, was still going on and further arrests were expected, they said.

The BBC's Alison Roberts, in Lisbon, says the location of the arrests appear to be the latest sign that smugglers have recently changed their routes in response to a crackdown by Spanish authorities.
 
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I guess even Portugal has a long way to go.

This operation was aimed at stopping a smuggling ring from operating within their jurisdiction - what's wrong with that? 3 tons of hash is indicative of some pretty high-level criminal activity.
 
^It's not cocaine or heroin, it's hash. As far as I'm concerned they were doing a public service.
 
Maybe, but the drugs still fund crime.

Besides, Portugal has some of the sanest drug policies in the world.
 
Letting people use drugs, but providing no legal means of acquiring them is still pretty insane IMO.
 
Letting people use drugs, but providing no legal means of acquiring them is still pretty insane IMO.

This is why some countrys have legal heroin programs, government funded safe injecting rooms and "no go" areas where drug users are allowed to consume openly but illegaly without being bothered by police.
 
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