Portugal police add big hashish bust to recent cocaine haul

LISBON, Portugal – Police in Portugal on Friday announced their second major drug bust in three days, with officials saying they stopped a fishing boat off the country’s Atlantic coast and apprehended 3.5 metric tons of hashish.

A police statement said the hashish, which has a street value of more than 8 million euros ($8.9 million), was from North Africa. After being offloaded in Portugal, it was to be distributed by road to other European countries.

Seven men on the vessel, all but one of them Portuguese, were arrested.

The Portuguese Air Force and Navy took part in the operation, which was helped by authorities in neighbouring Spain.

The Lisbon-based Maritime Analysis and Operations Center – Narcotics, a joint project by seven European Union countries, also had a hand in the operation, the statement said.