Portuguese authorities have seized five tonnes of cocaine from a Hong Kong-flagged container ship off the coast of Sines, bringing the country's total drug confiscations this year to roughly 28 tonnes, surpassing the entire 2025 haul.
The Polícia Judiciária, working with the navy and air force, intercepted the five-deck vessel approximately 1,185 kilometres west of Lisbon before escorting it into the Port of Sines in the early hours. Three foreign nationals — Italian, Colombian and Indian — were arrested, including one crew member and two individuals found aboard in irregular status. Police said the cocaine was destined for transfer to smaller vessels at sea before reaching European shores.
Dubbed Operation SkyDrop, the investigation was conducted under the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre framework with cooperation from Britain's National Crime Agency and Spain's Policía Nacional.