The Leiria Judicial Court sentenced six people to prison terms of up to nine years for drug trafficking crimes. The defendants were found guilty of importing cocaine from Ecuador concealed in shipments of frozen squid.
The seized drugs were valued at approximately 34.5 million euros. The scheme used maritime containers to hide the cocaine among frozen fishing products, attempting to bypass customs controls.
The investigations reportedly took place over several months, involving police and judicial authorities. The court announced the sentences after reading the verdict, applying differentiated penalties to the six defendants, with the maximum sentence reaching nine years in prison.
The case represents one of the largest drug seizures in the Leiria region. Authorities highlighted the sophistication of the concealment method used by the criminal organization to bring the drugs into the country.
