Large Criminal Activity
Large‑scale drug‑smuggling operation foiled near Lisbon
Portuguese Judicial Police intercept a major drug‑smuggling network transporting narcotics into Lisbon prisons, seizing weapons, cash, and digital evidence during coordinated raids.
In a recent large‑scale operation dubbed Operation Gambito, Portugal’s Judiciary Police dismantled a drug‑smuggling ring supplying prohibited substances to Lisbon‑area prisons. Authorities conducted 19 searches across multiple municipalities, including Lisbon, Sintra, Leiria, and Setúbal, arresting three men in flagrante delicto. The investigation uncovered two firearms, €26,000 in cash, approximately €150,000 held in cryptocurrency wallets, a high‑end vehicle, and significant digital evidence used to coordinate deliveries inside correctional facilities. The operation highlights the ongoing threat posed by organized crime networks exploiting vulnerabilities in the prison system for illicit drug trafficking. Details remain under judicial secrecy, but the scale of the seizure marks it as one of the most significant such interventions in the Lisbon region so far this year.
- Status
- active
- Location
- Lisbon region, Portugal
- Date added
- 2026-03-23 00:40 UTC
- Last updated
- 2026-03-23 00:40 UTC
- Source
- The Portugal Post
- Connected threats
- Not provided