A speedboat carrying more than 2.6 tonnes of cocaine worth about €500 million on the retail market was intercepted off the Portuguese coast, Italian financial police said on Monday.
The vessel was stopped near Lisbon by the Portuguese maritime police, according to Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, which said it had led the investigation.
Four people were arrested on board – two Spaniards, one Albanian and a man from Gibraltar.
Portuguese police said the interception took place last Thursday, about 90km south-west of Cape Espichel.
In a statement, the Italian police said organised crime groups use “go-fast” boats measuring between 10 and 16 metres that can exceed 70 knots.
They said the vessels are used in so-called “drop-off” operations, acting as “sea taxis” to collect illicit cargoes previously dropped at sea by mother ships arriving from South America.
