BrasÃlia – The two Portuguese citizens detained Thursday night in Brazil, with almost two tons of hashish, have not yet been brought to court, the Portuguese government said on Thursday.
The situation is being monitored, locally, by the deputy consul of Portugal in Fortaleza, Cristina Pedroso, who has already visited the two men, aged 41 and 27.
According to the Brazilian newspaper O Povo, the authorities are still talking about the existence of a third suspect who will be on the run, also a Portuguese citizen.
The seizure took place in the city of Fortim, and the Portuguese were later taken to the headquarters of the Drug Trafficking Division (DCTD) in Fortaleza.
Military police said the two Portuguese, who have no criminal record, were seized separately and offered no resistance to the authorities.
According to the information gathered by the police, the seized drug would be distributed in the northeastern, northern and southern regions of Brazil.
“We imagine that [the drug] came from North Africa, near the Iberian Peninsula, by the ocean. In Brazilian territory, it was transported to a smaller vessel and it docked at some seaport in Fortim, “DCTD delegate Ismael Araújo told reporters.
The authorities in the region do not register a drug seizure of this size, involving 1,984 kilograms of hashish.
“Of this type of drug there is no news that there has been in the past a seizure of this amount in Brazil. In Europe last December there was a seizure of more than two tonnes of hashish, “the police chede explained.
The two Portuguese are detained at the headquarters of the Anti-Drug Trafficking Division in Fortaleza and are suspected of drug trafficking and trafficking association.
